Leh Apex Body (LAB) co-chairman Chering Dorjay (centre) with other members addresses a press conference, in Leh, Ladakh.
| Photo Credit: PTI
Last Friday (May 22, 2026), the Union Home Ministry proposed a new mechanism to grant Ladakh greater legislative, financial and administrative powers within the existing Union Territory framework. The proposal was made in a meeting with the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), the two major civil society bodies from Ladakh.Since 2020, LAB and KDA have been demanding constitutional safeguards such as Statehood and the inclusion of Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, thus giving it a tribal status and an autonomy to decide the laws on land, jobs and culture.Ladakh, earlier a part of Jammu & Kashmir, became a Union Territory in 2019 following the reading down of Article 370 of the Constitution. Cherring Dorjay Lakruk, co-convenor, LAB and the president of the influential Ladakh Buddhist Association, spoke with The Hindu on the proposed agreement.
What were the issues discussed during the May 22 meeting with the Home Ministry?
The Central government has reservations about Sixth Schedule status and also in granting Statehood to Ladakh. They never agreed to these two demands in the talks held in the past. During the last round of talks (February 4), they offered safeguards available under Article 371 A of the Constitution. On May 22, we did raise our existing demands. We said if you cannot give Statehood, then give us UT with legislature, even that was not acceptable to them as Ladakh would then have to generate its own revenue without Central assistance. The government has promised us legislature at UT level and protection under Article 371. If they do not concede to Sixth Schedule, Article 371 is acceptable.
