Leh, Jan. 2 -- A new socio-political body called the Voice of Buddhist Ladakh (VBL) has recently been formed in the Union Territory, which will now play a key role in the ongoing negotiations between Ladakh's representatives and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA.

To address issues such as protection of land and environment and the preservation of cultural identity the MHA had formed a High-Powered Committee (HPC). The aim was to facilitate structured dialogue between Ladakh's representatives and the MHA.

Within a certain section of the Buddhist community there was a perception of being under represented in the HPC which has now resulted in the formation of the VBL.

While the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) ...