Ahead of Home Minister Amit Shah’s scheduled visit to Ladakh, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has announced the resumption of dialogue with local stakeholders, though civil society groups have called for more substantive engagement through a high-powered committee.
Ladakh Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena said on Sunday that a meeting between a sub-committee of the MHA and civil society groups — the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) — would be held on May 22.
“I am pleased to announce that the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India has taken a decision to convene a meeting of the sub-committee for a political dialogue,” Saxena said in a post on X. The announcement comes days before Shah’s two-day visit to Ladakh beginning April 30.
The LAB and KDA, representative bodies of political, social and religious organisations in Leh and Kargil, have been engaged in talks with the Centre since 2021 over a range of demands, including Sixth Schedule status, statehood for Ladakh, creation of a separate public service commission, and separate parliamentary representation for Leh and Kargil.
The last round of talks between representatives of LAB and KDA and central government was held in New Delhi in February, but remained inconclusive.
Following the latest announcement, co-chairperson of the LAB, Laruk Chering told businessline that the group has yet to decide whether it will participate in the upcoming meeting.
He, however, added that the stakeholders have been seeking dialogue with the high-powered committee (HPC) chaired by the Minister of State for Home Affairs, rather than the sub-committee led by the Home Secretary.
“The sub-committee talks are led by the Home Secretary. For a meaningful dialogue, the talks should be held by the HPC,” he said.
Published on April 26, 2026