SRINAGAR: Ladakh is on the cusp of significant changes to protect its unique land, culture, and employment opportunities. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) is considering a series of measures, including empowering the Leh and Kargil Autonomous Hill Development Councils, creating four new districts, establishing an additional battalion under the Ladakh Scouts, and incorporating the Boti language into the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution, Jammu newspaper Daily Excelsior reported, adding the Ministry is expected to finalise these decisions shortly.
The anticipated measures will address many of the demands raised by local bodies in Ladakh. However, the Ministry has almost ruled out granting Sixth Schedule status and Statehood to Ladakh. Officials argue that the enhanced powers of the Autonomous Hill Development Councils will sufficiently safeguard the interests of the region’s residents. The Union Territory status, granted on August 5, 2019, was a long-standing demand, particularly from Leh district, and was fulfilled with the bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir.
“Powers to the Hill Development Councils of Leh and Kargil will be given in such a way that the safeguards issue of the Ladakh bodies is adequately addressed,” the newspaper quoted the sources revealing. The administration is also likely to approve the creation of four new districts, including Nubra and Zanskar, to manage the region’s development needs better.
In response to the increasing defence and security needs, another regular battalion under the Ladakh Scouts is expected to be established. Including the Boti language in the Eighth Schedule is also a major demand likely to be fulfilled, highlighting the cultural significance of Ladakh’s linguistic heritage.
Infrastructure development remains a priority, with expedited work on the Kargil airport and expected permission for civilian aircraft to land at Thoise airport in Nubra. These steps aim to improve connectivity during the harsh winter months when the Srinagar-Leh National Highway is often closed.
The revelations came days after a delegation from the BJP’s Ladakh led by UT president Phunchok Stanzin, met the Home Minister Amit Shah.
Meanwhile, climate activist Sonam Wangchuk has announced plans for a 28-day fast starting on Independence Day if the government does not engage in talks about Ladakh’s demands for Statehood and constitutional protection. Wangchuk emphasized that the Apex Body, Leh (ABL), and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) submitted a memorandum of demands to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his recent visit to Drass for the 25th anniversary of the Kargil Vijay Diwas.
“We did not want to push the Government too much during the elections. We wanted to give them some breathing space after the polls; we were hopeful that the new Government would take some concrete steps,” Wangchuk stated. He remains hopeful that the government will invite local leaders for talks but warned of further protests if their demands are not addressed.
Wangchuk previously staged a 21-day fast in March, subsisting only on salt and water, to advocate for Ladakh’s inclusion under the Sixth Schedule and Statehood to protect the ecologically fragile region from industrial exploitation.
Ladakh’s former MP, Jamyang Tsering Namgyal, and other leaders have long supported these demands to safeguard the region’s land, employment, and cultural identity. In 2019, Union Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda assured that necessary constitutional measures would be taken to protect Ladakh’s interests, and the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes recommended Sixth Schedule status for the region.
As Ladakh awaits these critical decisions, the region’s future development and preservation of its unique heritage remain at the forefront of local and national discussions.
