Ladakh Groups Say Will Go Ahead With Shutdown Today To Demand Statehood

The demonstrations in Leh and Kargil are aimed at pressing long-standing demands for statehood and constitutional safeguards under the Sixth Schedule

15 Mar 2026, 18:31 · www.ndtv.com

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Several Ladakh groups will hold protests despite NSA revocation for Sonam Wangchuk
Protests demand statehood and Sixth Schedule constitutional safeguards for Ladakh
Centre urges dialogue but talks stalled; shutdown aims to renew focus on core demands

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Srinagar:

Several political and social groups in Ladakh will go ahead with a shutdown and protests today, even as the Centre revoked the National Security Act (NSA) against activist Sonam Wangchuk and ordered his release. Wangchuk, the most visible face of recent agitations in the region, had been arrested under the NSA in September last year.

The demonstrations in Leh and Kargil are aimed at pressing long-standing demands for statehood and constitutional safeguards under the Sixth Schedule.

Leaders of the Leh Apex Body and the Kargil Democratic Alliance welcomed Wangchuk's release but said it would not alter their core demands. They said their agitation-paused for six months-would resume, with the focus remaining on securing statehood and tribal protections for Ladakh.

The last major round of protests in September turned violent, leading to clashes with security forces. Four people were killed when security personnel opened fire.

The Centre had reopened talks with Ladakhi representatives over the past year, but the dialogue appears to have stalled since February 4, when several leaders accused the government of refusing to consider statehood or Sixth Schedule status.

On Saturday, while lifting the NSA against Wangchuk, the Union Home Ministry reiterated that it remained committed to providing "all necessary safeguards" for Ladakh. "The government remains hopeful that issues concerning the region will be resolved through constructive engagement and dialogue, including through the High-Powered Committee and other appropriate platforms," the ministry said.

Sajad Kargili of the Kargil Democratic Alliance said today's shutdown would be peaceful. "Our main objective is statehood and the Sixth Schedule. Revoking the NSA against Sonam Wangchuk is welcome, but our struggle for our legitimate rights continues," he said.

Ladakh became a separate Union Territory in August 2019, following the abrogation of Article 370 and the bifurcation of the former state of Jammu and Kashmir. While the move initially drew support in Leh, including from Wangchuk, residents soon voiced concerns over what they described as a political vacuum under the lieutenant governor's administration.

This discontent led to a series of protests and hunger strikes, prompting political and religious groups from Buddhist-majority Leh and Muslim-majority Kargil to form a rare joint front-the Leh Apex Body and the Kargil Democratic Alliance.

Although the Centre set up a high-level committee to examine Ladakh's demands, multiple rounds of talks have produced no breakthrough, leaving the region's political churn unresolved.

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