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LAB to resume protests on March 12 ahead of new Ladakh LG’s oath

Early Times Report

Jammu, Mar 8: Three days after the appointment of the new Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, the Leh Apex Body (LAB) on Sunday announced that it would resume its agitation and hold protest demonstrations across Leh on March 12 to press for its long-pending demands.
The announcement was made by LAB co-convenor and former minister Chering Dorjay Lakrook, who said that peaceful protests would be organised in different parts of Leh district to highlight the concerns of the people of Ladakh and demand the fulfilment of their constitutional and political aspirations.
Lakrook said the demonstrations would also seek the release of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, whose arrest last year had triggered widespread protests in Ladakh and drawn national attention to the region’s demands.
He reiterated that the agitating groups of Ladakh are seeking full statehood for the Union Territory, inclusion under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, and separate Lok Sabha seats for Leh and Kargil to ensure adequate political representation for the region.
“The people of Ladakh have been raising these issues for a long time, and our peaceful protest on March 12 will once again highlight the need for constitutional safeguards to protect the region’s land, culture and employment opportunities,” Lakrook said.
The planned protest comes at a significant time as Vinai Kumar Saxena, who was recently appointed as the new Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, is scheduled to assume office shortly.
According to official sources, Saxena will take oath as the Lieutenant Governor on March 13 at a swearing-in ceremony to be held at Raj Bhavan in Ladakh, which is expected to be attended by senior officials and other dignitaries.
Saxena, who earlier served as the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, was appointed to the post following the resignation of his predecessor, Kavinder Gupta on March 5.
Political observers believe that the resumption of protests by Ladakhi groups ahead of the new LG’s swearing-in reflects the continued pressure on the administration and the Centre to address the region’s key political and constitutional demands.
The Leh Apex Body and the Kargil Democratic Alliance, which jointly spearhead the agitation in Ladakh, have been demanding constitutional safeguards and greater political representation since the region was carved out as a Union Territory from the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir in August 2019.
The protest planned for March 12 is expected to draw participation from various civil society groups, activists, and residents of the region who have been supporting the ongoing movement for Ladakh’s rights.