Ladakh groups submit draft proposal to MHA seeking statehood, release of Wangchuk
Kargil, Nov 18: The Leh Apex Body (LAB) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA)—the two umbrella groups leading Ladakh’s agitation for Statehood and constitutional protections—have submitted a revised 29-page draft proposal to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), reiterating their demand for Statehood and inclusion of Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.
The document was submitted following the MHA’s call for detailed inputs after the Sub-Committee meeting held on October 22 in New Delhi.
Titled “Sixth Schedule Provisions and a Case for Statehood: Draft Framework for Ladakh (A Sui Generis Model for Protected Statehood and Sixth Schedule)”, the proposal lays out the constitutional roadmap that the two bodies seek for Ladakh. It argues for protected statehood, draws from existing Sixth Schedule models, and lists the amendments needed to extend those safeguards to the region.
The submission includes the main 29-page proposal and an additional note urging the unconditional release of all individuals detained since September 24, including climate activist and environmentalist Sonam Wangchuk. It calls for the complete withdrawal of cases against those arrested following the violence in Leh that day.
Along with the proposal, the LAB and KDA also submitted The State of Ladakh Act, 2025, seeking a 30-member Legislative Assembly for the region, with 28 seats reserved for Scheduled Tribe communities. The document also recommends two Lok Sabha seats for Ladakh. It proposes retaining the current common High Court for Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, and replacing the existing Hill Development Councils with Autonomous District Councils for Leh and Kargil.
Addressing reporters in Leh, LAB co-chairman Chering Dorjay Lakruk said the draft encapsulates the two core demands that both groups have consistently placed before the Centre: Statehood and Sixth Schedule protections.
“We have submitted a 29-page draft to the MHA highlighting the demands of Statehood and inclusion under the Sixth Schedule,” Dorjay said. He added that the proposal also calls for a general amnesty for individuals arrested after the September 24 incident. “In our country, even those involved in riots have been granted amnesty. We hope the same treatment for those detained here,” he said.
Dorjay reiterated the demand for the release of Sonam Wangchuk, who has been in detention under the National Security Act (NSA) since September. He added that issues related to reservations in government jobs and domicile rules have already been resolved by the administration.
The October 22 Sub-Committee meeting, which prompted this detailed submission, was attended by senior officials from the MHA, representatives of the Ladakh administration, the LAB, KDA, the Ladakh MP, and the chairpersons of the Leh and Kargil Hill Councils.
With the fresh draft now submitted, both LAB and KDA await further engagement from the Centre on Ladakh’s long-standing political and constitutional aspirations.
