New Delhi, Oct 19: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has invited a delegation of Ladakh leaders to New Delhi on October 22 for high-level talks on their long-pending demands for statehood and inclusion under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.
Officials said the meeting will be attended by a six-member sub-committee—comprising three representatives each from the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA)—along with the Union Territory’s lone Member of Parliament.
The invitation comes shortly after the Centre ordered a judicial inquiry into the September 24 violence in Leh district, where four people were killed when security forces fired on demonstrators. The incident, which erupted during protests seeking constitutional safeguards and release of detained activists, has intensified discontent across the Union Territory.
Confirming the development, LAB co-chairman and sub-committee member Cherring Dorjay Lakruk said the MHA had reached out for formal discussions. “We have been called to New Delhi for talks focused on statehood and inclusion under the Sixth Schedule,” Lakruk told The Tribune.
He added that the delegation will also raise the issue of those arrested after last month’s protests. “We intend to demand the release of Sonam Wangchuk and the 25 others who remain in custody,” he said.
According to Lakruk, the delegation will first hold internal consultations before meeting the high-powered committee of the MHA. “Our approach will be united and firm. The people of Ladakh have waited too long for constitutional safeguards,” he noted.
Since Ladakh was carved out as a separate Union Territory in August 2019 following the revocation of Article 370, local political and social groups have been demanding more autonomy and protection for indigenous communities. Their joint platform—comprising the LAB and KDA—has put forward four core demands: inclusion under the Sixth Schedule, grant of full statehood, establishment of a Ladakh Public Service Commission, and allocation of two parliamentary constituencies instead of one.
Previous rounds of talks between the Centre and Ladakh leaders have ended without tangible outcomes, prompting frustration among residents who fear unchecked administrative and demographic changes.
“This meeting is crucial,” Lakruk said. “We hope the Centre finally responds with a clear plan, not just reassurances.”
The October 22 dialogue will test how far the Centre is willing to go in addressing Ladakh’s political aspirations—particularly in the wake of mounting unrest and calls for greater self-governance in the Union Territory.
