KDA says statehood, Sixth Schedule for Ladakh non-negotiable; seeks 'fresh' proposal from Centre

The Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) on Wednesday reiterated that its core demands of statehood and constitutional safeguards under the Sixth Schedule are non-negotiable, even as it called for the immediate resumption of talks with the Centre and expressed openness to any fresh proposal that does not involve a council-based arrangement.

The KDA, along with the Leh Apex Body (LAB), has been jointly spearheading an agitation for statehood and Sixth Schedule protections for Ladakh since its separation from Jammu and Kashmir and its reorganisation as a Union Territory in 2019. The two groups have been engaged in dialogue with the Centre since 2021.

“If the government of India brings any new proposal — other than territorial, regional, or any council-based framework — we are ready to discuss it with an open mind and open heart,” KDA co-chairman Asgar Ali Karbalai told reporters in Kargil, underlining that statehood and Sixth Schedule safeguards represent the constitutional rights and aspirations of Ladakh’s people.

Karbalai said the leadership has clearly conveyed to the Centre that these demands form the basis of any engagement and cannot be diluted. At the same time, he stressed that the alliance remains committed to dialogue.

“No further action has been taken after the last meeting on 4 February. The government of India, particularly the Ministry of Home Affairs, had assured that the next meeting would be convened within 10–15 days so that Ladakhis’ aspirations could be considered seriously and sincerely. However, that has not happened yet,” he said.

“We have been engaging with the MHA in good faith since 2021 and continue to do so,” Karbalai added, while urging the Centre to demonstrate seriousness by initiating talks without further delay.

Referring to a recent meeting with lieutenant-governor Vinai Kumar Saxena, Karbalai said the delegation emphasised that the government must restart the dialogue process if it genuinely intends to address Ladakh’s concerns.

“The MHA repeatedly asks us to refrain from shutdowns, protests, marches and hunger strikes, assuring us that dialogue will take place. We too do not wish to disrupt normal life. But when assurances are not followed by action, we are left with no option but to protest,” he said.

Rejecting speculation about differences between the two groups, KDA and LAB leaders said they remain united on all key issues, particularly in opposing any council-based framework.

“We have unanimously rejected any council-based proposal – territorial, regional, or otherwise. This position was clearly communicated to the Lieutenant Governor as well,” Karbalai said, adding that the leadership would not yield to pressure. “We are not afraid of jail or threats. We will endure everything but will not step back from our agenda,” he said.

Ladakh MP Mohmad Haneefa Jan emphasised that the issues require sustained and structured engagement rather than limited discussions that fail to produce concrete outcomes. “It is not our intention to create unrest. Dialogue should begin at the earliest, and once it begins, it should not be restricted to a single short meeting without tangible results. The process must continue consistently,” Jan said.

Sajjad Kargili highlighted what he described as the absence of constitutional safeguards and meaningful democratic representation in Ladakh since 2019.

“The government had promised inclusion under the Sixth Schedule, but that commitment remains unfulfilled. Even today, Ladakh lacks constitutional protections, and democratic rights remain limited. For the past six years, the region has effectively been without a proper democratic voice,” Kargili said.

Calling the government’s response so far “unsatisfactory”, he said there has been a persistent gap between assurances and implementation, with promised timelines often extended by months. “The dialogue must resume, and it must be meaningful,” Kargili said.

The leaders also urged the lieutenant-governor to release detained youth and withdraw cases related to the violence in Leh on 24 September last year as a confidence-building measure to restore trust ahead of talks.

While warning that protests may continue if delays persist, the alliance maintained that dialogue remains its preferred route. “Any future course of action will be decided jointly and communicated to the public,” Kargili said.

With PTI inputs