Representatives from Ladakh scheduled to meet MoS Home Nityanand Rai Monday

NEW DELHI: A group of representatives from Ladakh is in Delhi and is scheduled to meet Minister of State of Home Nityanand Rai on Monday amid a prolonged agitation over their demands such as statehood and special status under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, a member from the group told PTI.

The meeting comes months after several socio-religious, political and youth organisations from Leh and Kargil rejected a high-powered committee set by the Home Ministry to “ensure the protection of land and employment” for the people of Ladakh.

Six representatives from Leh and Kargil will meet the Union minister for discussion on their demands, including statehood for Ladakh and its special status under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.

The demands included separate Lok Sabha seats for Leh and Kargil and a recruitment drive for the local educated youth.

The Sixth Schedule provides for greater administrative and political autonomy to certain tribal areas.

The representatives scheduled to meet Rai are three representatives from the Leh Apex Body – former MP Thupstan Chhewang and former state ministers Chering Dorjey and Nawang Rigzin Jora — and three from the Kargil Democratic Alliance — former minister Qamar Ali Akhoon, former MLA Haji Asgar Ali Karbalaie and and Sajjad Hussain, a prominent social-political activist.

“Protests have been happening in Ladakh, but we want a resolution. At least the government has initiated a dialogue, we are hopeful,” Sajjad Hussain told PTI.

“We hope the government will listen to us,” he said.

Ladakh was carved out of the state of Jammu and Kashmir and made a Union Territory in 2019.

Over the past two years, protests have been held in both Leh and Kargil seeking protection of the interests of the people of Ladakh.

The Leh Apex Body and the Kargil Democratic Alliance, representing different social and religious groups from the two regions of Ladakh, joined hands in August 2021 to press their demands.

In January this year, the Union home ministry constituted a high-powered committee headed by Minister of State Nityanand Rai to “ensure the protection of land and employment” for the people of Ladakh.

The two bodies from Leh and Kargil, however, rejected the committee and decided not to attend any meeting conducted under its name, saying its mandate did not mention the issues raised by them.

“We could not reach on an agreement over the constitution of the committee and the agenda. So it was decided to hold a meeting with an open agenda. The future course of action will depend on the outcome of the meeting,” Hussain told PTI.

In February this year, representatives and people from Ladakh had held a protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar raising their demands. (PTI)