Ladakh Groups Call for Shutdown on June 23 Over Omitted Meeting Decisions

Leh: The Leh Apex Body (LAB) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) have announced a mass shutdown in Ladakh on June 23, accusing the central government of omitting key decisions from the official minutes of a May 22 meeting regarding the Union territory's political and constitutional future.

At a press conference in Leh, Chering Dorjay, co-chairman of the LAB, stated that decisions taken during the meeting with a Union home ministry–led sub-committee were not properly reflected in the minutes. These included proposals for a democratic structure with legislative, executive, and financial powers, as well as constitutional safeguards through a proposed Article 371K. Dorjay also said it was agreed that the entire bureaucracy, including the chief secretary, would function under an elected executive.

The groups warned that the omission has deepened mistrust and could push them back toward their original demands for statehood and Sixth Schedule protections for the region. However, transport services will remain operational during the shutdown due to the tourist season.

Dorjay cautioned that the Centre should not assume the population would remain silent because of the Dalai Lama's upcoming visit to Leh, noting that protests could take place elsewhere.

Ladakh was reorganized into a Union territory in August 2019, when the former state of Jammu and Kashmir was bifurcated. A statehood protest in Leh turned violent in September 2023, leading to the detention of environmentalist Sonam Wangchuk under the National Security Act. He was released in March 2024 after a Supreme Court challenge.