Constitutional safeguards: MHA calls fresh meeting with Ladakh leaders on Sept 9

New Delhi: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has decided on another meeting of its sub-committee with representatives of Ladakh in New Delhi on September 9, as talks continue over demands for constitutional safeguards and greater democratic representation in the Union Territory. Ladakh Chief Secretary Ashish Kundra confirmed on Thursday that the meeting had been scheduled for September 9.

“This is part of the ongoing dialogue aimed at strengthening democratic processes in Ladakh,” Kundra said. The previous sub-committee meeting between MHA officials and representatives of the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) took place in May, The Tribune reported.

After the May meeting, LAB and KDA leaders said an understanding had been reached on extending constitutional safeguards to Ladakh. The discussions continued through a series of subsequent meetings between Ladakh representatives and MHA officials.

LAB convener Gelek Phunchok was quoted by The Tribune as saying that the Ladakh leadership was “positively looking forward” to the September 9 meeting. He said the immediate priority was to address the two outstanding demands and finalise the draft proposal incorporating the decisions agreed upon by the Ladakh leadership in May.

Phunchok said the leadership expected the MHA to complete the draft and make it public at the earliest so that the LAB and KDA could examine it and take an informed decision.

He added that the two pending demands should be resolved through a clear, time-bound process, with the final proposal brought forward and tabled, at the latest, during the upcoming Winter Session of Parliament.

The Ladakh leadership has also maintained its demand for the unconditional withdrawal of all cases linked to the September 24, 2025, incident. Phunchok said this position was consistent with the Minutes of the Fifth Meeting of the High-Powered Committee’s Sub-Committee on Ladakh, held on May 22, 2026, and subsequently signed by representatives of the MHA, LAB and KDA on July 3, 2026.

He stressed that the cases should not be withdrawn selectively or in phases, reiterating the demand for their complete and unconditional withdrawal.

The September 9 meeting comes against the backdrop of several decisions announced recently by the Union government and the Ladakh administration concerning the Union Territory. The upcoming discussions are expected to focus on advancing the remaining demands of the Ladakh leadership.