NEW DELHI: Ladakh chief secretary Ashish Kundra on Friday clarified on social media platform X that the February 4 discussions in the high power committee (HPC) on Ladakh, comprising representatives of the home ministry and Ladakh bodies like Apex Body Leh (ABL) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) — were wholesome and constructive, and that the govt is committed to a process of democratic consultation which involves all stakeholders of Ladakh.“Contrary to speculative media reports on the ongoing talks in HPC, the Delhi meeting with ABL & KDA was cordial and constructive. Government is actively engaged with all stakeholders of Ladakh in a democratic spirit. Rumours and twisted narratives are avoidable at this juncture,” Kundra said in a post on X. His reference was to a TOI report published on Thursday, claiming that the Centre had made it clear during the Feb 4 talks that Sixth Schedule status or statehood shall not be granted to Ladakh, and instead offered a “territorial council model’. KDA leader Sajjad Kargili too posted on X that “during the Feb 4 HPC meeting, no expression such as ‘rejection’ was used”. “The government raised certain objections and reservations regarding our draft…We presented and defended our demands with utmost sincerity and clarity. The next step now rests with the Centre to place its proposal before us. At the same time, we have clearly conveyed our position that the proposal of Article 371 along with a territorial council is not acceptable to us,” he stated. In an interview to a TV channel after the Feb 4 dialogue, Kundra had said that while ABL and KDA had mentioned their demand for Sixth Schedule status in the proposal presented at the HPC meeting, the MHA representatives explained that Sixth Schedule was inserted in the Constitution merely in context of the northeast, to protect the rights of minority tribes within a state/UT. “Nowhere else in the country is a whole territory under the Sixth Schedule,” said Kundra.On statehood demand, Kundra said Ladakh’s internal budget generation is a mere Rs 1,000 crore. “Can Ladakh be run on this small budget? We have to think about GPF and pension liability of govt servants in Ladakh, which is currently borne entirely by the Centre,” he pointed out. Kundra said people need to think with an open mind on what is best for Ladakhi people. “We have to balance financial sustainability, democratic rights, cultural preservation, land rights and employment opportunities,” he said. He confirmed that there was talk of several models including protection under Article 371, strengthening of district councils, creation of territorial council or a UT with legislature.
