Ladakh Representatives to Hold Talks on Statehood and Safeguards with Home Ministry Sub-Committee

Centre to hold talks with Ladakh groups on October 22

PTI, Leh, Oct 19, 2025 : Representatives from Ladakh will hold talks with the sub-committee of the Ministry of Home Affairs in Delhi on October 22, said Leh Apex Body (LAB) co-chairman Chering Dorje Lakruk on Sunday.

Three representatives each from the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), along with Ladakh MP Mohd Haneefa Jan, will participate in the talks. The focus of the discussions will be their primary demand for statehood and safeguards for the Union Territory under the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution, Lakruk told reporters here.

“We were informed by the Home Ministry that a meeting of the sub-committee is scheduled for October 22, and both LAB and KDA have been invited to it. We welcome the decision of the Government of India to invite us and look forward to a positive outcome from the dialogue,” he said.

Widespread violent protests took place in Leh on September 24 during a shutdown called by LAB to press for talks with the Centre on their demands for statehood and the extension of the Sixth Schedule to Ladakh.

The protests resulted in the deaths of four people and injuries to several others in clashes between the protesters and security personnel. Over 50 individuals were arrested for their alleged involvement in rioting. Activist Sonam Wangchuk, a prominent leader of the agitation, was also detained under the stringent National Security Act (NSA), which allows the Centre and states to detain individuals deemed to act in a manner "prejudicial to the defence of India."

The maximum detention period under the NSA is 12 months, though it can be revoked earlier.

Government sources stated that talks were first offered on July 20, but no response was received. The LAB and KDA have been leading the agitation for statehood and the extension of the Sixth Schedule to the Union Territory.