New Delhi: Social, political and religious groups demanding the agitation seeking statehood and Sixth Schedule for Ladakh on Monday (November 17) submitted a 29-page draft proposal to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

Submitted under the banner of the Leh Apex Body (LAB), the proposal also sought release of detained Ladakh locals, including climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, reported The Hindu.

“We have submitted a 29-page draft proposal to the MHA. We have highlighted the demands of Statehood and Sixth Schedule,” said Chering Dorjay Lakruk, Ladakh Buddhist Association (LBA) president and co-chairman of the LAB,.

Lakruk added that the draft proposal also sought a general amnesty for everybody who was arrested or booked after the September 24 violence in Leh.

“In our country, people involved in riots or who picked up arms have been granted a general amnesty. We hope the same in case of those arrested after September 24 incident,” he said.

Lakruk said the draft proposal also called for the release of climate activist Wangchuk, 59. Wangchuk was detained under the provisions of the National Security Act (NSA) in September.

Earlier, the Ladakh-MHA talks had hit a dead end in September after. Wangchuk organised a three-week hunger strike to demand for early resumption of talks over Statehood and Sixth Schedule.

After local residents including supporters of Wangchuk, protested on September 24 over the MHA’s delay in announcing talks, the ensuing violence resulted in the deaths of four locals dead and left around 90 injured.

The LAB and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) resumed the talks with the MHA on October 22 over demands of Statehood and Sixth Schedule.

The delegation has held talks with the sub-committee headed by LAB Chairman Thupstan Chhewang and KDA’s Qamar Ali Akhoon, Asgar Ali Karbalai and Sajjad Kargili, besides Ladakh Member of Parliament Haji Haneefa, reported The Hindu.

The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments.