Sajjad Kargili questions changes to LAHDCs amid ongoing talks on Ladakh safeguards

As Ladakh awaits a negotiated settlement on constitutional safeguards, a fresh concern has emerged over the future of its elected local bodies. Sajjad Kargili has criticised the government for making substantial changes to the LAHDCs without consulting local stakeholders, warning that the move could weaken representative institutions and compromise the region’s demand for meaningful self-governance.

Sajjad, who is a member of the negotiating team from the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), in a post on X wrote on Monday “At a time when talks are ongoing to negotiate a settlement for Ladakh, including demands for constitutional status and stronger protections for the #LAHDCs, it is deeply problematic that the government has chosen to make substantial changes to the composition, powers and functioning of these Councils without consulting the people and stakeholders of Ladakh. These changes directly affect the institutions through which local self-government is exercised, making consultation especially important when the future of Ladakh’s political and constitutional arrangements remains under discussion”.

“The government is effectively changing the institutional framework that these negotiations are meant to address, while giving the Union Territory Administration greater control over the composition and functioning of the Councils. This raises serious questions about the government’s commitment to the ongoing dialogue and whether the eventual settlement will secure meaningful autonomy for Ladakh or leave its representative institutions subject to executive discretion”.

It is worth mentioning that the talks between the Ladakh groups and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) suffered a roadblock last week when certain proposals by the centre were not acceptable to the local leadership. Next round of talks will be held a few days later.