Home Ministry for talks with Ladakhi leaders in last week of January

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has decided to call the next round of talks with the civil society leaders of Ladakh in the last week of January, according to a communication sent by the Ministry to the Chief Secretary of Ladakh on Thursday (January 8, 2026).

The Leh Apex Body (LAB) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), the two key constituents representing Leh and Kargil districts respectively which are part of the high-powered committee (HPC), were asked by the MHA officials to submit a draft framework for constitutional safeguards as being demanded by them.

The HPC is headed by Minister of State Nityanand Rai.

Despite the two bodies submitting the draft proposal in November to MHA officials, the dates for the next round of meeting were not announced.

On Thursday (January 8, 2026), Tashi Gyalson, Bharatiya Janata Party member and former chairman of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), shared on X a letter sent by the MHA to the Chief Secretary, Ladakh indicating that the HPC meeting will be held in “last part of January.”

The January 8 letter said, “....the next meeting of HPC would be convened in the last part of January 2026. It is requested to consult the members of the HPC for their convenient set of dates and inform the Ministry.”

The October 22 talks were resumed a month after four persons, including a Kargil war veteran, were killed in police action against protesters seeking Ladakhi Statehood.

The LAB and KDA also demand inclusion under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, which recognises tribal status and provides a measure of autonomy and self-governance. They also continue to demand the release of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk and other protesters detained since September 24 violence in Leh city. Mr. Wangchuk has been in detention in a Rajasthan jail for more than 100 days.

Sajjad Kargili of the KDA said, “While the announcement may have come later than expected, it is nonetheless a welcome step. We hope the forthcoming meeting will substantively address the core aspirations of the people of Ladakh — particularly the demand for Statehood, inclusion under the Sixth Schedule, and serious consideration of the draft proposals submitted to the MHA by the LAB and KDA.”

He said he hoped that the HPC would take up humanitarian concerns, including the continued detention of Mr. Wangchuk and others, as well as the issue of compensation for those injured and the families of those who lost their lives during the unfortunate events of September 24.