Leh, Sep 4: The Leh Apex Body (LAB) has decided to postpone the proposed Kargil–Leh Padyatra, which was scheduled to begin on September 10, following the announcement of a sub-committee level meeting with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in New Delhi on September 9 to discuss the pending issues concerning Ladakh.
Addressing a press conference LAB Members along with Sonam Wangchuk said the decision to defer the foot march was taken in view of the scheduled talks, as the dialogue would take place just a day before the proposed padyatra was to commence.
Wangchuk said the leadership had decided to wait for the outcome of the September 9 meeting before announcing the next course of action.
“If the conversation on the 9th in Delhi is very good, then we may not need to hold too many programmes. But if the talks fail or no concrete results emerge, we will decide our next course of action,” he said.
He said the padyatra would be rescheduled, with plans being considered to organise it over a shorter period and from different directions rather than continuing with the earlier two-week schedule.
Wangchuk said that if the talks fail to produce a constructive and result-oriented outcome, people from across the country would again be invited to extend their support to Ladakh’s demands, particularly those concerning the region’s environment and constitutional safeguards.
The LAB said it had received an announcement from the Home Ministry that a meeting between the Apex Body and Kargil-based representatives with the sub-committee would be held in Delhi on September 9, with officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs participating in the deliberations.
“We welcome this meeting, but we do not know what the result will be,” Wangchuk said, adding that the leadership would welcome any constructive approach that leads to concrete progress on the issues being raised by the people of Ladakh.
KDA had earlier backed padyatra, The development comes a day after the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) announced its support for the proposed Kargil–Leh Padyatra, which was scheduled from September 10 to September 24.
Social activist Sandeep Pandey and KDA co-chairman Sajjad Kargili were slated to lead the foot march.
The alliance had also said that all necessary efforts would be made to ensure that the entire journey remained peaceful and disciplined.
