Centre committed to meeting demands of the region, says Ladakh Chief Secretary

Calling for dialogue and discussion over a recent proposal by the Union Home Ministry, Ladakh Chief Secretary Ashish Kundra on Saturday (October 17, 2026) said the Union government was committed to the process of shaping the constitutional structure to provide a customised sui generis model to meet the demands of the region.

Mr. Kundra’s assurances came a day after key civil society bodies, the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), rejected the Ministry’s 32-page proposal, saying it was “a significant departure from the assurances and commitments made during previous meetings” by the Centre.

The Ministry’s document proposed a “two-stage approach involving a constitutional amendment and a subsequent regulation under Article 240 of the Constitution, with provisions envisaged for a directly elected Union Territory-level body and safeguards concerning land, natural resources, culture, and other issues raised by the representatives,” said Mr. Kundra. He underscored that meaningful negotiations require mutual trust and an open mind and patience.

Commenting on the ongoing dialogue between the Centre and local groups, the Chief Secretary said, “Ladakh political movement is for deepening democracy. This year tangible gains were made progressively in May, July, and September on demands of people like employment, land, religion, culture, environment, natural resources and how constitutional protection and safeguards could be put in place.”

He said the Centre was pushing a sui generis model to meet the demands of the local people under the special provision of “K” under Article 371. “Ladakh needs a creative solution, and Article 371 has enough flexibility to provide constitutional protection,” he said.