Vol Desk June 01: Following the recent announcement by Ladakh representatives expressing their willingness for discussions with the central government, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has extended an invitation to the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) for talks in New Delhi on June 19.

The LAB and KDA, which have been leading protests in Ladakh in support of their four-point agenda, have accepted the invitation. A total of six representatives, three from each body, will attend the talks.

This marks the resumption of dialogue between the MHA and LAB and KDA after a hiatus of 21 months. The last official talks between the MHA and the representatives of these bodies took place in Leh on August 29, 2021, led by Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai.

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According to officials, Nityanand Rai, who heads the High Powered Committee (HPC) on Ladakh issues, will lead the discussions, accompanied by senior officers from the Home Ministry dealing with Jammu and Kashmir & Ladakh Affairs. While the initial meeting will not be the HPC gathering, if the agenda is finalized, a subsequent HPC meeting may be scheduled.

The six representatives attending the June 19 meeting in New Delhi include Thupstan Chhewang, a two-time Lok Sabha member from Ladakh, Chering Dorjey and Nawang Rigzin Jora, both former Cabinet Ministers in the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir State, representing the LAB, and Qamar Ali Akhoon, a former Cabinet Minister in the previous J&K Government, Haji Asgar Ali Karbalaie, an ex-MLA, and Sajjad Kargili, representing the KDA.