Delhi’s latest proposal for Ladakh is complete subservience

In the latest chapter of the six-year-long saga of Ladakh’s quest for democratic autonomy, the Central government in October continued its record of broken promises.

In February, it had gone back on its assurance made in 2019 that Ladakh would get autonomy under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, just like four other tribal areas in the North East. This was when the status of Jammu and Kashmir’s status was downgraded to two Union Territories – Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.

The Sixth Schedule allows for the establishment of autonomous district councils and autonomous regional councils that can make laws on local matters.

Many years of agitations and high-level committee meetings and the deaths of four protestors in police firing in September 2025 finally resulted in a breakthrough in May.

An agreement was reached between the Ministry of Home Affairs and the representatives of Ladakhi people – the Ladakh Apex Body and the Kargil Democratic Alliance. It stated that statehood would remain the long-term aspiration of Ladakh. But “as a first step, an appropriate customized model of governance by establishing a UT-level elected body with executive, financial and legislative powers would be established”.

Among the Constitutional provisions that were to be considered was Article 371 of the Constitution, under which some regions...

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