The five-year-long standoff between Ladakh and the Centre over conditional guarantees for the region following its separation from Jammu and Kashmir is heading for a resolution.
A significant breakthrough was achieved during a 15 January meeting between leaders of the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) Sub-Committee on Ladakh.
The LAB and KDA represent political, social and religious organisations of Leh and Kargil and joined forces to fight for the rights of Ladakh.
The meeting marked a turning point as the Centre demonstrated flexibility on several key demands raised by Ladakh’s representatives, including domicile safeguards, reservation of 95 per cent of jobs in Ladakh for locals, domicile laws and filling all senior vacancies by the UPSC in Ladakh at the earliest.
Tashi Gyalson, Chairperson of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) Leh, expressed optimism about the outcome.
"The talks are moving in the right direction, and progress has been positive. Our major demands have been addressed to a large extent, and only a few final issues remain to be resolved," Gyalson told THE WEEK. "If the assembly demand is met, then it would resolve most of our concerns including demand for Sixth Schedule and Statehood.”
During the discussions, representatives of LAB and KDA indicated a willingness to show flexibility on their demand for Sixth Schedule status or statehood if the Centre agreed to grant assembly status to Ladakh.
The Centre, in turn, assured the delegation that all options would be considered to arrive at a viable solution.
According to Gyalson, the issue of the Sixth Schedule has limited applicability to Ladakh under Article 244, as it was originally designed for certain states with tribal-majority areas. "While the sentiment behind the Sixth Schedule demand is valid, applying it to Ladakh is not entirely practical,’’ he said. “The government is committed to providing constitutional safeguards that meet Ladakh's unique needs.”
He said that existence of two Autonomous Hill Councils—Leh and Kargil— remains a potential challenge in integrating assembly governance. However, he sounded confident that the remaining issues would be resolved in next a few months.
"Over the past three to four years, our struggle has borne fruit. Nearly 90% of our demands have already been fulfilled, and I believe the remaining issues will be resolved in the next four to five months," Gyalson said.
The meeting underscored the growing alignment between the Centre and Ladakh’s leadership, with the two sides focusing on dialogue.
Representatives from Kargil and Leh have praised the government's responsiveness while reiterating the need for clarity on liabilities, resources, and the functioning of central schemes if assembly status is granted.
As the Centre and Ladakh move closer to a resolution, the breakthrough offers hope for a governance model that addresses Ladakh's aspirations while maintaining its distinct identity. "This is a pivotal moment for Ladakh, and we are optimistic that a comprehensive solution is on the horizon," Gyalson said.