SRINAGAR: The proposed Kargil-Leh Peace and Justice Padyatra has been postponed following the announcement of fresh talks between representatives of Ladakh and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on September 9 in New Delhi.
Leh Apex Body member and social activist Sonam Wangchuk informed the media that the decision to defer the march was taken in view of the upcoming meeting, expressing hope that the talks would yield a meaningful outcome.
The 15-day march was scheduled to begin from Kargil on September 10 and proceed towards Leh. It was planned to highlight Ladakh’s long-pending demands, including statehood, constitutional safeguards under the Sixth Schedule and other issues forming part of the region’s four-point agenda.
The MHA has scheduled a meeting of its sub-committee with representatives from Ladakh for September 9 in New Delhi. The Ladakh administration has described the meeting as part of the ongoing dialogue aimed at strengthening democratic processes in the Union Territory.
Wangchuk said the decision to postpone the padyatra should not be viewed as an end to the agitation, adding that the outcome of the September 9 talks would determine the next course of action.
He said that if the discussions result in substantive progress on Ladakh’s demands, there would be no need to proceed with the march. However, if the talks again result in delays or what he described as “dilly-dallying tactics”, the padyatra would be revived.
Wangchuk also indicated that the march could be modified if it is resumed. Instead of the originally planned long-distance foot march, the organisers may consider a shorter version while continuing to seek support for Ladakh’s broader demands.
The proposed march was conceived as a peaceful campaign along the Kargil-Leh route and was backed by the Kargil Democratic Alliance and the Leh Apex Body, besides several political and civil-society groups.
The organisers had planned to conclude the march in Leh on September 24, coinciding with a candlelight vigil marking the first anniversary of the deaths during protests in Leh in September 2025.
With the march now put on hold, attention has shifted to the September 9 meeting in New Delhi. The outcome of the talks is expected to determine whether the proposed street mobilisation remains suspended or is revived in a shorter form.
The organisers have appealed for continued public support for Ladakh’s demands, making it clear that the postponement of the padyatra is linked to the expectation of meaningful progress through dialogue. (KNT)
