Ladakh civil society groups to hold informal talks with visiting MHA team, say ‘spadework for formal talks’
Members of civil society groups, Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) that are championing the cause of Statehood and Sixth Schedule status
Members of civil society groups, Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) that are championing the cause of Statehood and Sixth Schedule status for the region, on Wednesday (July 1, 2026) said they will hold informal talks with a team of Ministry of Home Affairs in Leh this week. “I do not expect these informal talks to come up with concrete deliverables. However, this meeting with the MHA is a spadework for the formal meeting, which we expect to follow soon. This will allow both the parties to get a sense where we stand,” said LAB chairman Chering Dorjay T Lakrook.
Lakrook’s statement came at a time when an MHA team arrived in Leh. He said the meeting will give the Ladakh leadership “a sense of what the Centre stands for”. “It will also provide us a platform to share our point of view on the demands. I am keeping my fingers crossed,” said Mr. Lakrook. The Leh-based LAB is also holding a consultation with KDA, which is Kargil-based civil society group, over the meeting. “We will have a joint strategy for the meeting. I am hopeful these upcoming informal talks will be formal talks soon,” said Mr. Lakrook.
On the Centre’s reported offer to extend provisions of Article 371 to Ladakh, Mr. Lakrook said these provisions could prove better than Sixth Schedule demand. “Sixth Schedule provisions only empowered district-level councils but Article 371 will empower the entire State and its legislature,” said Mr. Lakrook. The upcoming informal talks are taking place at a time when the Ladakh groups were accusing the Centre of backtracking on the agreement made on May 22 in New Delhi in the meeting with the MHA sub-committee. There was also disappointment among the civil society groups over the MHA not sharing the agreed minutes of the May 22 meeting with these groups.
They said the minutes of the meeting shared with the group earlier “did not reflect the agreed points”. According to the LAB and KDA, the Centre had agreed to address the Statehood demand by “creating a legislature under an elected Chief Minister”. Besides, it will grant special powers under Article 371’s a, g and f sections. “to bring bureaucracy, including the Chief Secretary, under the executive”.
The BriefWire