Kargil: The Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) on Tuesday announced a major protest rally here on September 20 to demand justice for the four people killed in police firing in Leh last year and protest what it termed the central government’s lack of “seriousness and sincerity” in talks on Ladakh’s demands.
The KDA also rejected as inadequate the compensation announced by the Lieutenant Governor recently for the victims of the September 24 violence in Leh and demanded higher restitution for those killed and injured. It also sought the withdrawal, in one go, of all cases registered against those arrested in the aftermath of the violence.
The KDA and the Leh Apex Body (LAB) have been jointly spearheading an agitation since Ladakh was granted Union Territory status in August 2019, pressing for various demands including statehood and extension of the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution to the region. The two groups have held several rounds of talks with the Centre since 2021.
They described the latest round of talks on September 9 in Delhi as “unproductive” and warned of fresh agitation.
Defending the stand taken by the agitating groups, KDA co-chairman Asgar Ali Karbalai said they had expected the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to present a concrete draft on the proposed UT-level legislative, governance and financial structure, but no such proposal was placed before them.
“At that meeting, no new or inclusive proposal was presented. The same things that happened in the sub-committee meeting on May 22 were repeated,” Karbalai, flanked by other members of the group including co-chairman Sajjad Kargili, told a press conference here.
Rejecting the narrative by some individuals that the meeting was fruitful, he said even an additional secretary-rank officer admitted that there was “nothing new” after they pressed for the minutes of the meeting.
Given the attempts being made to create mistrust, he said they might demand that all future sub-committee or high-powered committee meetings on Ladakh be “fully video-recorded and live-streamed”.
Karbalai questioned why the KDA and LAB were being asked to answer seven questions on the proposed UT-level structure when the MHA itself had not produced a draft defining its legislative, executive, administrative and financial powers.
“The draft has to come from their side. They were supposed to prepare the draft themselves as this was the idea projected by the MHA to carry forward the dialogue to success,” he said.
Karbalai said the same issues had already been discussed at the May 22 meeting and the two subsequent informal meetings in Leh.
He said the September 20 rally would also pay tribute to the four individuals who lost their lives in the Leh violence and reiterate the demand for justice for them.
Describing September 24 as a “black day” in the history of Ladakh, Karbalai claimed that police fired on peaceful and unarmed protesters supporting the demand for statehood and extension of the sixth schedule of the Constitution to the region.
Criticising the compensation announced by the Lt Governor, he said Rs 15 lakh for the families of those killed, Rs 3 lakh for critically injured persons and Rs 1 lakh for those with minor injuries was inadequate.
Accusing the government of meting out “step-motherly” treatment to Ladakh, Karbalai demanded substantially higher compensation — Rs 1 crore to Rs 1.5 crore for the family of those who died, Rs 50 lakh to Rs 1 crore for those critically injured, and Rs 30 lakh to Rs 50 lakh for those who sustained minor injuries.
He also demanded an immediate withdrawal of cases against all those arrested in connection with the protests.
KDA co-chairman Sajjad Kargili said the struggle was not for any particular community, region or political party but for the future of the entire region.
He said Ladakh’s unity was the reason its voice was being heard and warned against decisions being imposed without the consent of its people.
The KDA leaders demanded that no major policy or administrative decision affecting Ladakh, particularly on land, resources or governance, be taken by the local administration until the proposed UT-level governance structure is finalised and approved through the requisite constitutional and parliamentary process.
They said decisions on land allotment, notifications and other key issues should be kept in abeyance until an agreed framework is implemented.