Leh: The Leh Apex Body (LAB) announced on Monday that its leaders would not end their hunger strike until their demands of statehood and inclusion of Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule are met.
They demanded an immediate meeting with the central government, warning that public patience is wearing thin.
The Home Ministry has announced that talks with the Ladakh delegation will be held on October 6 for the next round of discussions.
During an online press conference, LAB co-chairman Chering Dorjey said they had informed the government that they could not end their hunger strike until an agreement was reached.
“Our protest is peaceful, but people are getting impatient. The situation may get out of our hands… The talks have already been delayed,” Dorjey said.
“We have informed the government that we cannot end the hunger strike until some agreement is reached,” he said.
Climate activist and educator Sonam Wangchuk said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had made a promise to include Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, and stressed that the promise should be fulfilled before the upcoming Hill Council polls.
“If they fulfil their promise, Ladakh will vote for them and make them victorious. They will benefit the most, and vice versa. So we hope they will hold meaningful talks,” Wangchuk said.
He also stated that people had started growing impatient with the delays in the talks.
“We hope all issues are resolved peacefully. Our protest is peaceful, but people have started growing tired… They tell us we are getting nothing through peaceful protest. We do not want anything to happen that may be embarrassing for India. It would be better if peace prevailed,” Wangchuk said.
“Our demands have been here for the last five years… Even the Constitution of India was framed in two years…” he said.
The LAB members also mentioned that they were not consulted before the finalisation of the date for the meeting.
“We think this is not a friendly proposal. When two sides talk, they are consulted about the date… This was a dictation,” they said.
LAB member and President of Anjuman Imamia, Ashraf Ali Barcha, said they were disappointed by the delay in the meeting.
“They gave a date which is 15 days from now… people have come here from far away, and we are feeling disappointed,” he said.
Christian leader Sonam Parvez pointed out that carrying out a hunger strike at the high altitude of Leh was a challenge, and people were suffering.
“This is nothing like sitting at Jantar Mantar. Staying hungry at this altitude is a challenge. We are sitting here because we want democracy in Ladakh,” he said.
The 35-day hunger strike was started by the leadership of the LAB on September 10.
LAB, along with the Kargil Democratic Alliance, has been in dialogue with the Ministry of Home Affairs over its demands, for which they have been agitating for the last four years.
The Ladakh Buddhist Association (LBA), a powerful body within LAB, passed a unanimous resolution on September 13, calling for the separation of political parties from the grouping and urging Thupstan Chhewang “at all costs, respecting his conditions and sentiments” to return.
The last meeting of the High Powered Committee of the Home Ministry with the representatives from LAB and Kargil Democratic Alliance was held on May 27.
A three-day hunger strike began in Kargil in August.
