New Delhi: On October 22, several Ladakhi leaders comprising the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) met with senior officials from the Ministry of Home Affairs to discuss the events of September 24, when alleged police action towards protestors in Leh led to four deaths and left around 90 injured.

The LAB and the KDA, the two organisations rallying for full statehood and protection under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, were joined by the chief executive councillors (CECs) of the Leh and Kargil Autonomous Hill Development Councils. The representatives were led by Lok Sabha MP from Ladakh Mohammed Haneefa Jan, and a legal expert.

The Union government was represented by senior officials from the Union home ministry, Intelligence Bureau (IB), finance ministry and Pawan Kotwal, chief secretary of the Union territory of Ladakh.

The meeting, as described by the attendees, was an informal one, meant to break the ice after the tension following the events of late September. This dialogue between Leh and Delhi is the first meeting after protests in Leh over demands for statehood and constitutional safeguards turned violent. 

'Next talks in 10 days'

Speaking to The Wire, president of the Ladakh Buddhist Association Chhering Dorje Lakrook, said, “Our primary concern was the release of the political prisoners who have been jailed since the protests. But we did not see any regret from the MHA’s side with regard to what had happened. We are focused on our demands for statehood and constitutional protections. The next talks are supposed to happen within 10 days”.

The Union government had constituted a high-powered committee to look at these demands in 2023. It was led by Minister of State for home, Nityanand Rai, who had been part of several meetings with various stakeholders from Ladakh.

At the core of Ladakh’s ongoing agitation is a four-point charter that its leaders say is essential to preserving the region’s fragile democracy and distinct identity. The Leh Apex Body and Kargil Democratic Alliance have jointly demanded full statehood for Ladakh, arguing that direct rule from Delhi has eroded local representation since the region was carved out as a Union Territory in 2019. They are also seeking inclusion under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution to safeguard tribal land, jobs, and cultural autonomy; separate parliamentary representation for Leh and Kargil; and stronger protections for local employment, land ownership, and decision-making powers for the hill development councils, institutions that protesters say have been steadily undermined under central control.

Sonam Wangchuk's detention

Mustafa Haji, a Legal Advisor with Apex Body Leh, also an attendee at the meeting said that all Ladakhis present at the meeting expressed their anger over the detention of Sonam Wangchuk under the draconian National Security Act, as well as other leaders. “It was a core committee meeting and it was essentially held to initiate some sort of an interaction post the unfortunate events of September 24,” he said. 

KDA representative Sajjad Kargili, who was also part of the meeting, said that the government must seriously make the judicial probe time-bound and release political prisoners. “Those injured in the protests must also be given dignified compensation, this will steer the talks towards a positive way. We must be given safeguards that we have always been vocal about, along with a democratic setup which aids us to voice our concerns better,” he told The Wire.

Since Ladakh was carved out as a Union Territory without a legislature in 2019, Leh and Kargil have witnessed unity through the Leh Apex Body and Kargil Democratic Alliance, which have led a sustained campaign demanding full statehood and inclusion under the Sixth Schedule. Their agitation has steadily intensified, moving from mobilisations in 2021 to mass shutdowns and rallies across both districts through 2024, and a hunger strike this August calling for constitutional safeguards over land, jobs, and political representation. 

The movement reached a flashpoint in September 2025, when police firing on protesters in Leh left four dead. Against this backdrop, the latest meeting between Ladakh’s leaders and the Ministry of Home Affairs signals a renewed attempt at dialogue, but local groups say the Union government must move beyond assurances to address what they call a crisis of democratic and ecological survival in India’s northernmost region.

As Ladakh’s leaders await the next round of talks, the mood on the ground remains skeptical. Many view the Union government’s outreach as a test of intent after years of unkept assurances, and say the region’s unrest will not abate without genuine political empowerment. 

In the high-altitude expanse, Ladakh’s fight for statehood and indigenous rights has come to embody a struggle for democratic representation at the edge of India’s map.

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