Overview

• The Ministry of Home Affairs has scheduled a High-Powered Committee meeting for 11 a.m. on October 6 at Kartavya Bhavan in New Delhi.
• The panel is headed by Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai and will include MHA officials along with representatives from the Leh Apex Body and the Kargil Democratic Alliance.
• LAB and KDA were asked to submit seven names each for the talks, with the LAB delegation to be led by Thupstan Chhewang and kept non-political in view of Leh Hill Council elections.
• Key unresolved demands driving the talks include statehood with a legislature, Sixth Schedule safeguards, a separate Public Service Commission, and two Lok Sabha seats for Ladakh.
• The outreach follows months of protests and sit-ins by LAB and KDA and a hunger strike launched on September 10 by activist Sonam Wangchuk to push for renewed dialogue.