New draft proposal, new districts: what the Centre’s moves mean for Ladakh | Explained

The story so far: The Centre initiated significant steps in the seven-year-old Union Territory (U.T.) of Ladakh this week. A sub-committee of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) shared a 15-page draft proposal to civil society groups and leaders of the region, which included the two key bodies of the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA).

In another development, the Lieutenant Governor’s administration announced the creation of Sankoo as the eighth district of Ladakh, a region that had only two districts till 2019.

The two developments may come across unrelated, but indicates the Centre’s fresh approach to address the demands of the region at various levels. Ladakh has been witnessing frequent street protests since it was carved out as a U.T. in 2019 from the Kashmir division of the erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir. Since then, the region has been demanding the status of Statehood and inclusion in the Sixth Schedule. At present, Ladakh is a U.T. without a legislature unlike J&K.

How have Ladakh civil society bodies reacted to MHA’s fresh draft?

In a joint statement, the LAB and KDA categorically reject the draft proposal in principle. These bodies claimed that the draft represented a significant departure from the assurances and commitments made during previous meetings of the sub-committee. They highlighted the draft’s failure to address the demand for a legislative assembly and constitutional safeguards under Article 371, including a provision tailored to Ladakh’s unique circumstances.

Further, these bodies urged the MHA to reconsider the proposal and accept the draft Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) submitted by the two bodies in its true spirit and entirety on October 15 in Leh. The people of Ladakh deserve a meaningful constitutional framework that honours prior commitments and safeguards their political, cultural and democratic aspirations, rather than an arrangement that dilutes them, they added.

Why did MHA constitute a High-Powered Committee?

In the wake of growing protests in Ladakh, a High-Powered Committee (HPC) was constituted in 2023 under the chairmanship of Minister of State (MoS) for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai.