Kamal Ghorui
JAMMU: A high-powered Union home ministry panel has questioned Ladakh’s top political groupings on whether inclusion under the Constitution’s Sixth Schedule would offer sufficient safeguards, signalling that New Delhi is weighing constitutional limits, fiscal costs and governance models as demands for statehood gather force in the region.During talks Wednesday in New Delhi, the committee asked representatives of Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Party (KDA) whether Sixth Schedule — framed for tribal areas in the Northeast — could serve as a constitutional shield for Ladakh, given that it falls under Article 368 and can be amended, sources said Thursday.Govt also sought clarity on the financial burden of granting Ladakh full statehood with a legislature, including salaries, provident fund liabilities and other expenditures for about 19,000 employees. Running a state or a Union territory with a legislature involves managing deficits and long-term fiscal responsibility, prompting the panel to press Ladakhi activists for detailed projections, the sources said.Sixth Schedule grants special protections over land, culture, and resources through autonomous councils. Since the 2019 bifurcation of J&K into two Union territories, Ladakhis have demanded similar safeguards and statehood.Senior BJP functionary Tashi Gyalson, who attended the meeting as former executive chairman of Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, called the talks a step forward. “Talks were held for two-and-a-half hours and every member spoke,” he told reporters, saying discussions covered statehood, Sixth Schedule and the possibility of Article 370-type safeguards.“In broader terms govt indicated that Ladakh will get constitutional safeguards, that the region will be politically empowered, and that Ladakh will be developed as a sustainable model,” Gyalson said.LAB and KDA — umbrella groupings of political and religious organisations from Leh and Kargil — described the discussions as inconclusive. LAB co-chairman Chering Dorjay Lakrook and his KDA counterpart Asgar Ali Karbali said statehood for Ladakh and inclusion under Sixth Schedule — the two core demands — remained unresolved. Both expected another round of talks soon.Earlier, LAB and KDA met the home ministry panel in New Delhi on Oct 22, 2025. That engagement followed Centre’s decision to order an inquiry into the Sept 24 police firing on protesters in Leh demanding statehood and Sixth Schedule status. Four protesters were killed.On Nov 14, the two groups submitted a joint 29-page draft proposal to the home ministry. The document also sought a general amnesty for LAB member and climate activist Sonam Wangchuk and others arrested after the Sept 24 protests.
