New Delhi, May 23: Climate activist and Ladakh campaigner Sonam Wangchuk on Saturday indicated that meaningful progress had been made in talks with the Central Government over Ladakh's long-pending demands for democratic representation, even as he cautioned that no final decision had yet been taken.
Speaking to ANI, Wangchuk elaborated on the contours of the proposal. "Ladakh has always demanded safeguards under Article 244 and the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, and statehood. The government proposed to grant similar safeguards under Article 371, which cannot be implemented without an elected Assembly," he said.
Taking to social media, Wangchuk described the outcome of a meeting held at the Ministry of Home Affairs as an "in principle understanding," stating that a broad consensus had been reached on restoring democracy to the Union Territory through a tailor-made legislative body, one that would hold executive, financial, and law-making powers, with safeguards modelled on Article 371 of the Constitution.
The meeting was attended by representatives of the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) and the Leh Apex Body, two key civil society groupings that have been at the forefront of Ladakh's push for greater self-governance since its reorganisation as a Union Territory in 2019.
On the question of full statehood, a central demand of Ladakh's people, Wangchuk acknowledged the fiscal constraints that currently make it untenable. "Right now, Ladakh does not have that much revenue to pay for government employees," he noted, adding that the two sides had proposed an Assembly that, while falling short of statehood, would function at Ladakh's level until sufficient revenue is generated.
A significant element of the understanding, Wangchuk pointed out, concerns the control of bureaucracy. Under the proposed arrangement, the elected head of the legislative body would have overall authority over the Chief Secretary and the broader administration, a significant shift from the current structure, where the Lieutenant Governor holds that power.
However, Wangchuk was careful to temper expectations, telling ANI, "There was only a proposal, and no decision was taken as we need to work on its details. I would say the work is still in progress." (ANI)
