Ladakh groups announce shutdown, accuse Centre of not honouring agreement

The Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) have called for a shutdown in Ladakh on June 23, accusing the central government of backtracking on agreements reached during talks on May 22. The two main political groups in the Union territory warned that their “patience should not be tested” and raised concerns over the draft minutes of a meeting with a Union home ministry sub-committee.

According to the groups, the draft minutes failed to include a proposed legislative setup with powers over the bureaucracy and constitutional safeguards for Ladakh under a provision akin to Article 371. Sonam Wangchuk, a LAB member and environmentalist who was part of the talks in Delhi, had earlier described the meeting as “historic”.

LAB and KDA warned that if these “two essentials” are not reflected in the final minutes, they would revert to their original demand for full statehood and Sixth Schedule status for Ladakh. This has raised fears of renewed agitation during the peak tourist season in the region.

LAB co-chairman Chering Dorjay Lakrook said that while a draft of the meeting’s minutes was shared with him, after he pointed out what he described as “omissions” and sought corrections, the revised minutes were not released or sent back. “It is a grave concern for us. These are crucial issues for Ladakh and we expect the government to rectify the omissions and faithfully incorporate the decisions in official records. The government should adhere to understandings reached at the meeting. It cannot be a case of taking two steps forward and two steps backward. Such an approach raises questions about the government’s intentions,” Lakrook said on Saturday.

The LAB co-chairman made it clear that a planned visit by the Dalai Lama would not stop protests. “The government should not assume public mobilisation will not take place because His Holiness the Dalai Lama is expected to visit Ladakh. There are many democratic ways to protest,” Lakrook said. The Tibetan spiritual leader is scheduled to arrive on June 28 for an extended stay, with the government planning grand celebrations in Ladakh to mark his 91st birthday on July 6.

In a “final appeal”, KDA co-chairman Asgar Ali Karbali warned the Centre “not to test the patience” of Ladakh’s people further. “We have given sufficient time to the government. The patience and tolerance of Ladakhis have limits. If those limits are crossed, this movement can take many forms,” Karbali said.

Several rounds of talks have been held with the Centre on Ladakh since 2023. The process stalled after four people were killed and over 80 injured on September 24, 2025, in alleged police firing on protesters in Leh demanding statehood. LAB’s Wangchuk was accused of inciting the protesters, arrested, charged under the National Security Act, and kept in Jodhpur jail. The Centre revoked his NSA detention in March this year.