Archive · 11 Sep 2026
Ladakh Groups Plan Padyatra After Talks With Centre Stall
Ladakh leaders met officials from India’s Home Ministry to discuss how the region should be governed.
They said the meeting was friendly but did not solve their main problems.
The leaders want an elected body with more power than government officials.
They especially want it to help control law and order, money, land, and local issues.
They also want special constitutional protections for Ladakh.
The groups are asking for protest cases to be withdrawn and for compensation after violence on September 24.
They want the report investigating that violence to be released.
Because they remain unhappy, they announced a walking protest from September 19 to 24.
Officials indicated that a draft proposal might be discussed in the first week of October.
The Leh Apex Body and Kargil Democratic Alliance announced a September 19-24 padyatra in Ladakh after talks with the Home Ministry produced no substantive progress.
The groups seek a tailor-made governance model with an elected assembly above the bureaucracy and control over law and order.
They also demand constitutional safeguards, delimitation, financial powers, and assurances against major administrative and land-related decisions.
The groups want protest-related cases withdrawn, compensation for those affected by September 24 violence, and release of the inquiry commission’s report.
The Home Ministry indicated that a draft could be discussed in October, while the groups said they would wait about a week for concrete assurances.
- Who
- The Leh Apex Body, Kargil Democratic Alliance, Sonam Wangchuk, Ladakh MP Mohammad Haneefa Jaan, and other delegation members.
- What
- The Ladakh groups announced a September 19-24 padyatra after saying talks with the Union Home Ministry failed to produce sufficient progress.
- When
- The delegation met the Home Ministry on Wednesday; the padyatra is scheduled for September 19-24, with a possible draft discussion in the first week of October.
- Where
- The padyatra will take place in Ladakh, while the talks were held with the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.
- Why
- The groups seek a new governance structure, constitutional safeguards, administrative and financial powers, withdrawal of cases, compensation, and accountability for the September 24 violence.
Ladakh Groups' Position
Government Engagement
Progress on governance proposal
Ladakh Groups' Position
The groups say they submitted three drafts but received no government draft or substantive response, describing the meeting as a repeat of the previous one.
Government Engagement
Reports say the Home Ministry had proposed discussing a directly elected UT-level body and indicated that a draft could be discussed in October, but the groups said the proposal lacked clarity on overall powers.
Administrative decisions during negotiations
Ladakh Groups' Position
The groups say the Union Territory administration is taking major decisions on land and democratic structures while talks continue, and want such decisions paused.
Government Engagement
The Home Ministry was described by Ladakh representatives as showing sincerity and engaging on the issue, although the articles do not provide a detailed response from the Union Territory administration to the criticism.
Response to September 24 violence
Ladakh Groups' Position
The groups seek immediate withdrawal of all cases, dignified compensation, and publication of the inquiry report, while arguing that protesters in Ladakh received unequal treatment.
Government Engagement
The government verbally assured the groups that cases would be withdrawn in phases, according to the reports, but no detailed government position on compensation or the inquiry report was provided.
- Organisations
- Leh Apex Body and Kargil Democratic Alliance
- Padyatra
- Scheduled for September 19-24 in Ladakh
- Core governance demand
- An elected assembly or UT-level body with authority over bureaucracy and law and order
- Additional demands
- Constitutional safeguards, delimitation, financial powers, and protections for land, culture, language, forests, and the environment
- Protest-related demands
- Withdrawal of cases, compensation for those killed or injured, and release of the inquiry commission report
- Government indication
- A draft proposal could be discussed in the first week of October
- Earlier action
- A planned September 10 march was postponed for the Home Ministry talks
