Leh: The next round of talks between Ladakh's representative groups and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), which was scheduled for October 22, is expected to be held after the ongoing electoral process concludes, Ladakh Chief Secretary Ashish Kundra said on Tuesday.
Panchayat and municipal elections in Ladakh are scheduled for November 11, while elections to eight Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils (LAHDCs) will be held on December 4.
Kundra said the proposal to hold the next round of talks between the representative groups -- the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA)-- and the MHA was referred to the State Election Commission for clearance in view of the Model Code of Conduct currently in force.
He said the talks could proceed once the Commission's approval was received.
"Until we receive clearance from the Commission, we cannot take the matter forward. Only after that can further steps be taken," the chief secretary told a press conference here.
Asked whether the talks would take place after the elections, Kundra replied, "Yes, certainly. They will take place afterwards."
Emphasising the need to strengthen democratic institutions alongside the ongoing political dialogue, the chief secretary said the administration was committed to deepening democracy and expanding people's democratic rights in Ladakh.
"We want democracy to be deepened and democratic rights to be expanded. On the one hand, people (LAB and KDA) say that Ladakh has become a bureaucratic state, while we are making efforts to strengthen democratic governance and expand people's rights," he said.
Kundra said the emergence of the Apex-level representative body should not become a reason to delay the constitution of other elected institutions, including panchayats, municipal bodies and the LAHDCs.
"The Apex-level body in the Union Territory is also taking shape. However, should we stop holding other elections until that body is fully constituted? I do not think that would be appropriate," he said.
Referring to discussions with the sub-committee, Kundra said the demand for notifying panchayat elections had itself been raised during one of the meetings, and the administration had acted accordingly.
He said it was important to adopt a reasonable approach in the larger public interest rather than putting the electoral process on hold.
"There is no intention whatsoever to undermine the ongoing dialogue process. However, other democratic institutions also need to be constituted," he maintained.
The chief secretary also appealed to political and community leaders in both Leh and Kargil to participate in the December 4 LAHDC elections, saying that a strong democratic mandate would reinforce Ladakh's position in its engagement with the Central government.
He urged people to demonstrate through their participation that Ladakh wanted democracy, stronger democratic institutions and a meaningful process of dialogue.
"We want democracy, we want democratic institutions, and we want these institutions to be strengthened," Kundra said, appealing to leaders from both regions to encourage participation in the elections.
He observed that active democratic participation, combined with sustained dialogue, would help develop a representative institutional framework at the Union Territory level.
"It is through such participation, combined with an active process of dialogue, that we will collectively build an institution that will take shape at the Apex level for the Union Territory," he said.
On concerns surrounding the delimitation exercise for LAHDCs, Kundra defended the process, stating that the number of seats allocated to each district was determined through a prescribed formula, while the demarcation of constituency boundaries was undertaken exclusively by the State Election Commission.
He described the exercise as balanced and fair, urging people to look beyond individual grievances and participate in the larger democratic process.
"Minor difficulties and grievances may arise, but everyone should participate in the larger cause," he said.
The chief secretary, responding to questions about the judicial inquiry into the firing in September last year that left four protesters dead in Leh, Kundra assured that the report would be released shortly, although its timing is to be decided.
