Arteev Sharma
Jammu: : Annoyed over the stalled dialogue on key demands outlined in their four-point agenda—including Statehood and Sixth Schedule status for the region, the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) will hold a joint meeting in Kargil on April 20 to chalk out their future strategy if the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) does not extend an invitation for talks by then.
The last formal meeting of the LAB and KDA leaders with the MHA was held on January 15. A follow-up meeting, initially proposed for February 15, did not materialize, with the MHA reportedly opting for backchannel talks to evolve a consensus on contentious issues prior to making any announcements.
“We have received no response or invitation from the MHA for further dialogue on the key issues concerning the people of Ladakh. We were hopeful of a positive response, but it hasn’t come. All LAB members will travel to Kargil for holding a joint meeting on April 20 to discuss the next course of action,” veteran LAB leader, Chering Dorjay Lakrook told The News Now.
Dorjay said the continued silence from the MHA is pushing the leadership of Ladakh to revisit earlier methods of protest to revive the stalled dialogue process.
Meanwhile, senior KDA leader Sajjad Kargili, in a video message posted on ‘X’, stressed the need to set 1989 as the cut-off year for issuing domicile certificates in Ladakh to safeguard local interests and expedite the recruitment process.
“LAB and KDA have clearly stated that 1989 should be the reference year for domicile eligibility. The people of Ladakh are highly sensitive to the issue,” Kargili said while warning of the consequences of a lenient domicile policy.
Citing the example of Jammu and Kashmir, where over 83,000 non-locals received domicile certificates, he said such a trend could prove “dangerous” for a sparsely populated region like Ladakh. “It opens the doors for people from across India to claim domicile in Ladakh. This is an alarming situation for us. That’s why our collective stand is to fix 1989 as the cut-off year,” he asserted.
If sources are to be believed, the MHA officials recently held two closed-door meetings in Jammu with some representatives from LAB and KDA. These informal discussions primarily focused on two issues—reservation in jobs and recruitment of Gazetted officers—before convening a full-fledged meeting of either the Sub-Committee or High-Powered Committee in New Delhi.
Sources said the differences persist between the two sides on reservation issue particularly on fixation of term for domicile and Economically Weaker Section (EWS). While the MHA reportedly prefers a Jammu and Kashmir-style model—where individuals residing for 15 years qualify as domiciles, Ladakh representatives are pushing for Sikkim-like criteria, granting domicile status only to those residing in the region before 1967.
Regarding Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) reservation, LAB and KDA leaders have proposed a three percent quota, arguing that the 10 percent mandated under constitutional provisions is disproportionately high for Ladakh’s demography. However, the MHA has reportedly suggested a 5 percent reservation for domiciles under EWS criteria.
The recruitment of Gazetted officers—a long-standing demand since Ladakh became a Union Territory on August 5, 2019—also came under discussions during backchannel talks. The MHA has proposed recruiting doctors and engineers through the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), while administrative services recruitment would be handled by the Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission (JKPSC). Sources say the proposal is largely acceptable to LAB and KDA, but they are pushing for faster implementation.
Despite some movement through backchannel diplomacy, there has been little progress on two of the most pressing demands—granting Statehood and inclusion under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution. Additionally, the demand for two Parliamentary seats instead of the current one has been deferred until delimitation resumes post-2026.
Since Ladakh’s separation from Jammu and Kashmir, no Gazetted cadre recruitment has occurred due to the absence of a Public Service Commission. The leaders of Ladakh have also called for age relaxation in future recruitments to compensate for the prolonged delay, a demand that the UT administration is reportedly considering.
