Leh, Oct 09: In a major step toward restoring calm in Ladakh, the Union Territory administration on Thursday held a meeting with representatives of civil society groups to defuse tensions following last month’s violence that claimed four lives and left several injured.
The meeting, chaired by Chief Secretary Pawan Kotwal, was attended by Director General of Police S D Singh Jamwal, Leh Apex Body (LAB) chairman Thupstan Chhewang, co-chairman Chering Dorjey Lakruk, and Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) Chairman Tashi Gyalson, among others. It marked the first formal interaction between the administration and civil society representatives since the September 24 firing incident, seen as an early indication of a thaw between the two sides.
Officials said the LAB representatives reiterated demands for a judicial inquiry into the firing, immediate release of detained individuals, and restoration of mobile internet services, which remain suspended since the violence. The delegation also pressed for compensation of Rs 1 crore each for the families of the four deceased and sought an end to alleged detentions and harassment by security agencies.
Speaking after the meeting, LAB co-chairman Chering Dorjey Lakruk said the delegation emphasised that normalcy could not return unless confidence-building measures were initiated. “We urged the administration to stop detentions and harassment and to restore internet services without delay. The situation in Leh remains far from normal,” he said.
The civil society representatives also called for the withdrawal of Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), terming it a precondition for meaningful reconciliation. According to officials, the administration assured that all issues raised would be examined, though no date has been fixed for the next round of discussions.
The talks come after the Leh Apex Body and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) jointly pulled out of a scheduled dialogue with the Union Home Ministry’s high-powered committee on October 6, citing the government’s failure to announce a judicial probe into the firing. Thursday’s engagement is being viewed as an attempt to rebuild trust and pave the way for the resumption of dialogue on Ladakh’s governance and security situation.
