Arteev Sharma
Jammu: A day after the MHA-constituted sub-committee talks in New Delhi, the UT administration of Ladakh on Thursday announced that an advanced draft of the proposed Constitutional Amendment Bill for providing safeguards to Ladakh under a special provision of Article 371 is expected to be ready by the next round of talks in October.
At the same time, the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) decided a fresh mobilisation of the masses from September 19 to 24 over pending demands and lack of clarity on the proposed governance structure.
Talking to the reporters in Leh on the ongoing political dialogue on constitutional safeguards for Ladakh, recruitment and service-related matters, Nautor land rules, and other developmental and administrative initiatives following Wednesday’s meeting of the sub-committee with Ladakh representatives in New Delhi, Chief Secretary of Ladakh Ashish Kundra said discussions had moved to questions concerning the powers and jurisdictions of the proposed elected Union Territory-level body and the existing Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils (LAHDCs).
He said a list of eight to ten questions concerning the distribution of powers between the proposed UT-level body and the LAHDCs had been shared with the representatives of the LAB and KDA.
“The participating leaders from Ladakh were requested to prepare a draft document examining the structural relationship and distribution of powers between the LAHDCs and the proposed UT-level body as per their requirements before conveying their views to the government”, Kundra said, adding “the proposed governance structure would have the panchayats as the foundational level, followed by the LAHDCs and the proposed UT-level body”.
He said discussions had also settled the question of the method of election to the proposed UT-level institution, with representatives attending the meeting favouring direct elections from constituencies. “There was a discussion about whether there should be direct elections from constituencies to this body or indirect elections through the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils (LAHDC). All those who attended from the Apex Body and the KDA were of the view that there should be direct elections from constituencies, and there was agreement on this issue”,” Kundra said.
He further said the exact number of constituencies and the detailed distribution of powers, however, were yet to be finalised.
Kundra said the proposed constitutional safeguards were being discussed in relation to land, culture, environment and natural resources, while employment-related protection was being addressed separately through the reservation system already provided for Ladakh. He said the proposed arrangement would require a Constitutional Amendment rather than ordinary legislation.
“The process will have two stages. Major provisions would be incorporated through the constitutional amendment, while detailed provisions concerning the functioning of the proposed institutions would subsequently be dealt with through legislation and regulations,” he said, adding “the constitutional amendment would have to go through the full parliamentary process and would require the requisite majority and political consensus among parties and Members of Parliament”.
Kundra said legal drafting of the Constitutional Amendment Bill would follow consensus on the underlying principles. “The next meeting is scheduled for October, and we hope that by the next meeting an advanced draft of the Constitutional Amendment Bill will be ready,” he said.
The Chief Secretary also said the Centre was proceeding through consultation with stakeholders and people of Ladakh and did not want to impose a political model on the Union Territory.
On the issue of employment, he said Ladakh already had a reservation framework and described it as a system not presently available in a similar form elsewhere in the country.
The administration’s revelation came at a time when the LAB and KDA announced a fresh September 19-24 ‘Padyatra’ following their dissatisfaction with the outcome of the September 9 MHA meeting. The two groups had postponed their earlier proposed Padyatra from Kargil to Leh from September 10 to facilitate the MHA talks.
Addressing press conference in New Delhi, they said they had not received the draft of the proposed UT-level governance structure they had expected and maintained that several substantive issues were still awaiting clarity.
Climate activist and LAB member Sonam Wangchuk said the talks were “cordial”, but the government had not responded to the list of non-negotiables submitted by the groups, including a governance arrangement in which an elected assembly would be above the bureaucracy and have control over law and order.
“We expected a unique, tailor-made governance model. We had given them the details and drafts, but this meeting was a repeat of the last meeting,” he said.
“We are helpless. We were thinking that there would be no need to carry out a protest or a padyatra, but… We have not received any assurance. If we don’t receive an assurance, then we would be forced to launch a massive agitation. The padyatra will now be held from September 19 to 24. However, we are still hopeful of receiving an assurance within a week,” he said.
The KDA co-convener Sajjad Kargili said that withdrawal of cases and compensation remained central to the groups’ concerns following the September 24 violence. “September 24 was the worst day for us. There has been no justice in Ladakh. There has been brazen injustice”, he said.
Kargili also questioned the lack of movement on the governance proposal, saying the groups had already submitted three drafts while the government had not shared one with them. “We have given three drafts, but the government has not given us even one draft. Only when we protest does something happen,” he said.
The groups have also sought withdrawal of cases registered in connection with the September 24, 2025 violence and compensation for those killed and injured.
LAB chairman Chering Dorjay Lakruk said the groups were concerned over what they described as differential treatment of protesters and reiterated their demand for accountability over the September 24 incident.
KDA co-convener Asgar Ali Karbalai said other outstanding issues included delimitation, financial powers and constitutional safeguards.
The groups have said they want to see a complete draft before assessing whether their demands have been incorporated into the proposed arrangement.
Former Ladakh MP Thupstan Chhewang, who also participated in the discussions, said the meeting considered different options for constituting the UT-level body, including direct elections, representation through elected district-level bodies and a panchayat-based model.
He said the discussions also covered representation of the non-tribal population in the proposed body and powers relating to land, culture and environment.
Former Leh Hill Council CEC Tashi Gyalson said discussions had covered strengthening the existing LAHDC framework and the proposed distribution of powers between different levels of democratic institutions.
He said the proposed Article 371 framework could cover land protection, environment, cultural heritage and natural resources and that powers in these areas could be delegated to the elected UT-level body.
The question of local democratic institutions has also figured in the discussions, with differences emerging over the timing and sequence of council and UT-level elections.
Chhewang and Gyalson have supported moving ahead with local democratic institutions, while LAB and KDA representatives have argued that the proposed UT-level body should be established before decisions are taken on a further tier of elected institutions.
The Centre has also indicated that compensation would be provided to those killed or injured during the September 24, 2025 violence, according to the Ladakh representatives who attended the talks.
The LAB and KDA, meanwhile, have decided to proceed with the September 19-24 padyatra, with Wangchuk saying the groups would wait for further developments in the dialogue while preparing for the mobilisation.
The next meeting of the MHA sub-committee is expected to be held in Ladakh in October.
