Leh Apex Body slams Modi govt’s apathy towards Ladakh demands
Leh: In Ladakh region of Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, the Leh Apex Body (LAB) has strongly expressed dissatisfaction over its recent meeting with India’s Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), stating that Ladakh’s long-pending demands for Sixth Schedule status and full Statehood were neither taken seriously nor discussed in good faith.
According to Kashmir Media Service, addressing a press conference in Leh, LAB Co-Chairman Chering Dorjay Lakrook said the Modi regime failed to deliberate on the draft proposal jointly submitted by the Leh Apex Body and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA).
Instead of engaging constructively, he said, the BJP government attempted to highlight so-called “disadvantages” of Sixth Schedule and Statehood—claims he described as factually incorrect and misleading. He further criticized the authorities for not presenting any alternative framework for Ladakh’s constitutional and political future.
President of the Ladakh Gonpa Association, Gelong Stanzin Dorjay, who attended the meeting, echoed the concerns, stating that it appeared Ladakh’s aspirations were not being treated with seriousness by New Delhi. He stressed that unity among the people of Ladakh was critical at this decisive juncture.
Other leaders, including Anjuman-e-Imamia President Ashraf Ali Barcha, youth leader Padma Stanzin, and advocate Mustafa Haji, also addressed the media. They lamented that despite sustained peaceful agitations—during which lives were lost, many were injured, and several people jailed—New Delhi continued to ignore Ladakh’s constitutional demands.
The Leh Apex Body said that its legal experts, who had drafted the detailed proposal, were not allowed to participate in the meeting to clarify constitutional and technical aspects, raising questions about the transparency and intent of the deliberations.
Reiterating their unwavering stand, LAB leaders declared that the demand for Sixth Schedule safeguards and full Statehood reflects the collective will of Ladakh’s people.
