 Sanjay Pandita
Early Times Report
Jammu, July 14: Just six days before a high-stakes meeting between agitating Ladakhi groups and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the President of India has appointed senior BJP leader and former Deputy Chief Minister of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, Kavinder Gupta, as the new Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh.
Gupta, known for his deep ideological roots in the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), replaces Brigadier (Dr) B.D. Mishra (Retd), whose resignation has been formally accepted. Mishra had taken charge as LG of Ladakh on February 12, 2023.
The timing of Gupta’s appointment is politically significant, coming just days ahead of the July 20 meeting between the MHA and representatives of Ladakhi groups, who have been agitating for constitutional safeguards, including statehood and inclusion of Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.
The Sixth Schedule provides special administrative protections to tribal areas in certain northeastern states—provisions Ladakhi leaders are now seeking for their region to preserve its cultural, ecological, and demographic identity.
This meeting is part of an ongoing dialogue between the central government and Ladakh stakeholders. The outcome could have far-reaching implications for the region’s political future and its administrative relationship with the Union Government. |
