Explain the current negotiations regarding Ladakh's proposed Article 371(K).

The current negotiations between the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the Ladakh Sub-Committee—comprising representatives from the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), including activist Sonam Wangchuk—focus on providing constitutional safeguards and local governance autonomy to the Union Territory.

1. The Core Offer: Article 371(K)

UT-Level Elected Governing Body: The Centre has proposed adding a specific constitutional provision—Article 371(K)—to allow Ladakh to establish a directly elected Union Territory-level governance body with administrative autonomy.

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Legislative Scope: Under the proposed provision, this body would possess legislative powers over land, culture, language, forest, environment, natural resources, and other subjects reserved for the UT under Article 240 of the Constitution.

2. Unresolved Powers & Frictional Points

Law & Order and Police Control: Ladakh leaders pointed out a lack of clarity regarding critical areas like police and law and order. Activist Sonam Wangchuk stated that the proposed assembly must have supremacy over the bureaucracy and direct control over police and law and order. The MHA deferred this discussion to October.

Executive & Financial Authority: The LAB and KDA are seeking full executive, budgetary, planning, and financial powers for the elected body, noting that the Centre's current proposal remains vague on these aspects.

Absence of a Formal Draft: KDA co-chairman Sajjad Kargili emphasized that negotiations took place without a written draft. He noted that until an official draft detailing the exact provisions is produced, the proposal "does not inspire confidence" among the representatives or the people of Ladakh.

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3. Immediate Demands & Warning Against Restructuring

Halt on Irreversible Changes: The LAB and KDA unanimously declared that no major, irreversible restructuring of governance mechanisms, land transfers, or administrative setups should take place before the elected UT-level body is constituted. They warned that any continued irreversible changes would force them to launch public protests.

Protest Cases & Compensation: The MHA promised a compensation package for those killed or injured during the September 2025 agitation. The LAB and KDA requested that all criminal cases linked to those protests be withdrawn immediately and in full, rather than in phases.

4. Next Steps

The MHA has committed to holding the next round of talks in the first week of October 2026, where an official draft of Article 371(K) is expected to be presented and discussed.

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