The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has proposed an elected body for the Union Territory (UT) of Ladakh by introducing a new constitutional provision under Article 371 of the Constitution in a proposed Chapter K, civil society members who attended a meeting with MHA officials in Delhi on Wednesday (September 9, 2026) said.
Cherring Dorjay Lakruk of the Leh Apex Body (LAB), who attended the meeting, told The Hindu, however,that he was “disappointed” as this was a reiteration of the May 22 meeting and that even though they were shown a PowerPoint presentation mentioning Chapter K, they were not yet provided a detailed “draft proposal” by the MHA.
“The MHA stated that the intended UT-level body would be elected by direct election, and would have legislative powers with respect to land, culture and language, forest, environment, natural resources, and any other subject matter reserved for the UT under Article 240,” a statement by the civil society members said.
Article 371, which currently has chapters that run from A to J, deals with “Temporary, Transitional and Special Provisions” and exists under Part XXI of the Constitution. It is currently applicable in 12 States: Nagaland, Assam, Manipur, Mizoram, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Sikkim, and Karnataka.
Ladakh chief secretary Ashish Kundra, who attended the meeting, said in a post on X, “Attended the sub-committee meeting with leaders of Ladakh at MHA in Delhi today. A general air of positivity prevailed as the broad contours of a sui generis model of governance under Article 371 of the Constitution were discussed. Deepening democracy is the goal.”
Ladakh leaders’ demands
Representatives of the Leh Apex Body and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) asked the MHA to ensure that the Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh does not take any major decisions concerning the administration, bureaucracy or land until the proposed constitutional safeguards are put in place, while pressing for the legislation to be passed in the upcoming Winter Session of Parliament.
The members also sought compensation for the families of the victims of the violence that broke out on September 24, 2025, in Leh city, where four people were killed in police firing. They also sought the withdrawal of criminal cases against 80 people, along the lines of the protection afforded to those who took part in the “Gen Z protest” at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar in July this year. The violence in Ladakh erupted amid a protest that was called to demand constitutional safeguards for the region.
After Ladakh lost its special status under Article 370 of the Constitution as part of the erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir, it was turned into a Union Territory without a legislative assembly in 2019. Since then, the LAB and the KDA, representing the Leh and Kargil regions respectively, have been demanding Statehood and tribal status for Ladakh and seeking a larger role for local residents in decisions relating to land and infrastructure projects.
Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, who was also part of the delegation that met MHA officials, said, “We cannot say that the meeting was a complete success. We hoped to get a draft proposal assuring us protection under Article 371. However, that was not provided. We have asked the government to take back the cases registered against protesters after last year’s incident in Leh city. We hope that the way cases were withdrawn against Gen Z protestors in Delhi, it will be done in Ladakh, too.”
The civil society groups had earlier called a protest march from Leh to Kargil on September 10, following which the MHA called for a meeting in Delhi on September 9.
“We had proposed that the assembly should have control over the police and bureaucracy. The MHA only said that they will look into these demands. No assurance was given. The government assured us that compensation will be announced soon for the injured people and the families of those who were killed in the September 24, 2025, violence,” Mr. Wangchuk said, adding that they would be observing a condolence meeting on September 24.
Sajjad Kargili of the KDA said civil society members asserted that no major administrative decisions should be taken by the Ladakh L-G until a decision on the elected body for Ladakh is finalised. “We stressed that legislation to this effect be passed by a two-thirds majority in Parliament in the coming Winter Session,” he said.
Published – September 10, 2026 12:04 am IST
