The Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) has submitted fresh document to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) related to their demands. Primary demands of the region are grant of Statehood and Sixth Schedule status to the Union Territory of Ladakh but both the bodies are seeking general amnesty for all those arrested after September 24 violence in Leh including climate activist Sonam Wangchuk as a matter of priority.
The comprehensive document of nearly 29 pages was sent through email. Sources said following this the MHA will hold another round of meeting with the representatives of LAB and KDA .Titled as ‘Sixth Schedule Provisions and a case for Statehood. Draft Framework for Ladakh’ (A Sui Generis Model for Protected Statehood and Sixth Schedule), the document sought integration of proposed State of Ladakh under Article 371 as Article 371-K. It presented in detail its case for inclusion of Ladakh in Article 371 of the Constitution of India.
The LAB and KDA also submitted The State of Ladakh Act, 2025 along with the document seeking a 30-member Assembly for the proposed State of Ladakh , out of which, 28 will be reserved for the members of Scheduled Tribes (STs) of Ladakh i.e. the local people. It also sought two Lok Sabha seats for Ladakh.“There shall be a common High Court for the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and State of Ladakh to be called the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh,” the document said.
It proposed Autonomous District Council for each district of the State of Ladakh instead of present Hill Development Councils.
LAB co-chairman Chering Dorjay Lakruk told media persons in Leh that the document listing their demands has been submitted to the Government of India.
Lakruk, however, said, they have also sought general amnesty for all those arrested after September 24 violence in Leh including Sonam Wangchuk.Wangchuk has been booked under the (NSA) while others are detained under different sections of law for the violence which broke out in Leh on September 24 during strike call given by youth wing of LAB seeking preponment of talks with MHA which were then scheduled for October 6.
After October 22 Sub Committee meeting in New Delhi, the MHA had sought detailed document from the LAB and KDA listing their demands. The demands were drafted by both the bodies and then a joint document was prepared unanimously which was emailed to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs today.
According to sources, the MHA team dealing with the issues of Ladakh will study the document submitted by the LAB and KDA after which a meeting of either the Sub Committee or the High Powered Committee (HPC) will be convened in New Delhi for detailed discussions.
The Sub Committee comprised senior officers of MHA and UT of Ladakh, three members each from LAB and KDA, Ladakh MP and Chairperson-cum-CEC Kargil Hill Development Council while the HPC is headed by Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai and has six members each from LAB and KDA, Ladakh MP and Kargil Hill Council Chairman, among others.
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