States » NorthPosted at: Oct 24 2026 4:22PM


'Ladakh's silence is not surrender': KDA warns against mistaking calm for fear

Srinagar, Oct 24 (UNI) Amid a deadlock in talks between the union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and Ladakh leaders, Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) on Saturday cautioned the Centre against further delaying its demands for constitutional safeguards and democratic rights for Ladakh, saying the people would not remain silent indefinitely.
Addressing a press conference in Kargil, KDA leaders rejected the proposed administrative framework presented by the MHA, alleging that it fell short of the commitments recorded in the minutes of earlier meetings and failed to address the aspirations of the people of Ladakh.
KDA along with Leh Apex Body (LAB) have been leading the demand for constitutional safeguards and holding talks with the Centre for the last several years.
KDA co-chairman Sajjad Kargili said the proposed arrangement had not been prepared keeping the aspirations of the people in mind and alleged that it was designed around the interests of the union Territory administration.
He said the KDA and the Leh Apex Body had rejected the proposal and submitted their objections to the Centre.
Kargili accused the Ladakh administration of undermining democratic rights through successive orders and notifications, asserting that the alliance would continue its struggle for constitutional safeguards and the rights of the people.

"We condemn the union Territory administration for the dictatorial manner in which it is imposing order after order on us. This is an attack on the rights of the people of Ladakh," he said.
Drawing a parallel with allegations of electoral irregularities elsewhere in the country, Kargili said Ladakh was being treated as a "testing laboratory", alleging that the region's political representation had been undermined.
"Ladakh has been turned into a testing laboratory. Here, representation itself has been stolen," he said, adding that while allegations elsewhere concerned the "theft of votes", the situation in Ladakh, according to him, involved the loss of people's representation.
Kargili's colleague and KDA co-chairman Asgar Ali Karbalai said the silence prevailing in Ladakh should not be mistaken for fear or surrender, warning that it was "the silence before a storm."
"The administration should not mistake the present silence for fear, submission or surrender," he said.
Karbalai said the KDA and the LAB had been holding discussions with the MHA for the past six years on their four-point agenda, with statehood and constitutional safeguards forming two of their principal demands.
He said the minutes of a meeting held on May 22 and signed on July 7 had recorded an understanding on a customised administrative arrangement for Ladakh, with legislative, executive and financial powers, along with constitutional safeguards.
However, he alleged that the presentation made by the MHA at the October 15 meeting was contrary to those commitments and offered a structure without meaningful powers or constitutional guarantees.
"The rights that they had agreed in writing to provide, and for which the Minutes of Meeting had been signed, are now being denied to us," Karbalai said.
He said the proposed council lacked meaningful financial powers, authority over land and independent executive powers, adding that the KDA and the Leh Apex Body had submitted a detailed response to the proposal after consulting constitutional and legal experts.
Karbalai warned that the alliance would intensify its agitation if the government continued to delay the process.
"If tomorrow we have to take to the streets, launch agitations, protest, call shutdowns, observe strikes, or fill the jails in pursuit of our agenda and our issues, we will do so," he said.
Ladakh MP Haji Mohammad Hanifa Jan said the proposed framework had dashed the hopes generated by the earlier discussions, when both sides had reached a consensus on the broad contours of an arrangement.
He urged the Centre to convene the postponed meeting at the earliest and bring forward a draft in accordance with the commitments recorded in the signed minutes.
Jan said the people of Ladakh wanted to determine their own policies and decide the direction of development in the region, while stressing that the alliance wanted Ladakh to remain peaceful.
He warned that continued delays could lead to renewed public anger, particularly among the youth, and urged the government to make efforts to introduce the proposed arrangement in Parliament during the Winter Session.
The KDA reiterated that it would not abandon its agenda and called on the MHA and the union Territory administration to withdraw regulations it considers contrary to the interests of the people of Ladakh.
UNI MJR BM
Tags: #'Ladakh's silence is not surrender': KDA warns against mistaking calm for fear
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