Buddhist body demands more voice in Ladakh statehood talks | India News

SRINAGAR: Former Ladakh Buddhist Association (LBA) president Tondup Tsewang Chhospa has written to Union home minister Amit Shah saying Muslim representation in ongoing talks between a high-powered government committee and Ladakhi leaders outweighs that of Buddhists, creating a “clear imbalance in community representation”.“The majority of the representatives engaged in the discussions belong to the Muslim community, while the Buddhist community is under-represented. Such a composition may prove disadvantageous for the Buddhist community of Ladakh as it limits the scope for their cultural, social and regional perspectives to be adequately expressed and understood within the dialogue process. This has raised concerns among sections of Buddhist population.….,” Chhospa’s letter states.Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), the two groupings of the region spearheading the talks, are discussing statehood and Sixth Schedule status for Ladakh.Chhospa’s letter also expresses misgivings on the course of the talks. It says sections of Buddhists do not consider supporting the demand of statehood as a governance model for Ladakh as they feel it may fail to ensure fair and equal political representation between Leh and Kargil regions, and safeguard the interests of the community.“…Statehood for Ladakh with the ensuing political and electoral processes could possibly deepen divisions between Leh and Kargil on regional and communal lines instead of fostering long-term unity,” the letter states.The talks have roots in the creation of Ladakh as a separate Union Territory after the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019.The Union home ministry (MHA) had formed the high-powered committee in January 2023 for talks with Ladakhi leaders following prolonged protests by LAB and KDA for statehood. This year, talks were held on May 27, leading to the introduction of a domicile policy.However, on September 24 this year, security forces in Leh allegedly opened fire on statehood protesters, killing four and injuring over 70, derailing the talks. Over 70 people were held, including climate activist and LAB member Sonam Wangchuk.The MHA had earlier scheduled the talks for October 6 but LAB and KDA withdrew following the violence, demanding a judicial probe and release of detainees. On October 17, the MHA announced a probe headed by former Supreme Court judge B S Chauhan. After the probe announcement, the LAB and KDA resumed talks with the Centre on October 22 in New Delhi.