Kargil, Sep 4: The Apex Body Leh (ABL) has deferred its scheduled September 10 padyatra ahead of a crucial meeting with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in New Delhi on September 9, while warning that failure to secure a concrete outcome could trigger intensified agitation across Ladakh.
The decision was announced after an emergency executive meeting of the ABL, following an invitation from the MHA for regional representatives to participate in a fresh round of sub-committee talks.
Addressing a press briefing, ABL leadership said the padyatra had been deferred to provide the dialogue process a genuine opportunity, but maintained that its core demands remained unchanged.
The September 9 deliberations are expected to focus on long-pending demands concerning statehood, constitutional safeguards under the Sixth Schedule, an empowered elected body for the Union Territory, greater administrative autonomy and protection of local recruitment.
“We are deferring the padayatra to give dialogue a genuine chance. But make no mistake—this is not a step back. If the Ministry of Home Affairs fails to offer a concrete, time-bound outcome on September 9, we will re-launch an intensified, region-wide agitation immediately,” ABL president CheringDorjey said.
Dorjey was flanked by noted environmental activist SonamWangchuk during the briefing.
The September 9 meeting comes amid months of tensions in Ladakh, marked by hunger strikes, rallies and stalled negotiations over the region’s political and constitutional demands.
Representatives from Leh and Kargil have maintained that the sub-committee needs to move beyond procedural discussions and work towards a viable legislative and administrative framework.
The latest talks follow sustained engagement between central government officials and joint delegations representing the Leh Apex Body and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA).
The two groups recently submitted a joint memorandum outlining their key demands to the Ladakh administration. These include an empowered UT-level elected body and the unconditional withdrawal of cases against those affected by the September 24 incident, besides dignified and adequate compensation for the victims and their families.
By deferring rather than abandoning the September 10 padyatra, the ABL has kept its agitation strategy on standby while allowing space for the central government talks.
Civil society groups across Ladakh are expected to assess the outcome of the September 9 meeting before deciding on their next course of action.
