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The call for Sixth Schedule status has become central to Ladakh’s agitation, with leaders arguing it is key to protecting culture, jobs, and the fragile ecosystem
Police personnel control a violent protest over the statehood demand in Ladakh. (PTI)
Ladakh has been tense since September 24, when protests over constitutional safeguards escalated into violence in Leh, leaving four people dead and around 80 injured. During the clashes, offices of the BJP and the Leh Hill Council were set on fire, along with police and CRPF vehicles. Local leaders have accused the police of excessive force, claiming most of the injured suffered bullet or pellet wounds, and the Leh Apex Body has demanded an independent inquiry.
On September 26, police arrested climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, who had been on a hunger strike since September 10. His detention has added to the already charged atmosphere in the Union Territory.
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The agitation is being coordinated by the Leh Apex Body and the Kargil Democratic Alliance, representing Buddhist-majority Leh and Muslim-majority Kargil. Both groups have been pressing for statehood and Sixth Schedule protections for more than four years. A preparatory meeting with the Ministry of Home Affairs, originally scheduled for September 27, has been rescheduled to September 29, ahead of formal talks on October 6 with the Union Minister of State for Home.
What Is The Sixth Schedule Of The Constitution?
The Sixth Schedule is a constitutional framework designed to provide autonomy to tribal-majority areas. It is enshrined under Article 244(2) and Article 275(1) and was shaped by the Bardoloi Committee’s recommendations to protect tribal culture, land, and governance systems.
Currently applicable in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram, it allows for the creation of Autonomous District Councils, which enjoy legislative, judicial, executive, and financial powers. Ten such councils are functioning in the Northeast today, serving as a model for tribal self-governance within India’s constitutional structure.
How Does The Sixth Schedule Work?
Autonomous District Councils are composed of up to thirty members, with four nominated by the Governor and the rest elected by adult suffrage for five-year terms. In regions with multiple tribes, Regional Councils can also be established.
The councils hold wide-ranging powers. They can legislate on matters such as land management, forest use, agriculture, inheritance, marriage, divorce, and social customs, subject to the Governor’s assent. They are empowered to run schools, dispensaries, markets, and local infrastructure, and to regulate transport and waterways.
They can set up courts to adjudicate disputes among Scheduled Tribes, with some restrictions on serious crimes, and they also have authority under the Code of Civil and Criminal Procedure. Financially, they can collect land revenue, impose local taxes, charge tolls, and issue licences for mineral extraction.
These arrangements are intended to give tribal-majority regions control over their own development, culture, and resources, while keeping them under the larger umbrella of the Indian state.
Why Is Ladakh Demanding Sixth Schedule Status?
The demand for inclusion under the Sixth Schedule has been driven by Ladakh’s demographic and geographic profile. Over 90 per cent of the Union Territory’s population belongs to Scheduled Tribes, and since its separation from Jammu and Kashmir in 2019, it has been governed directly by the Centre without a legislature.
Local organisations such as the Leh Apex Body and the Kargil Democratic Alliance contend that this arrangement does not provide adequate constitutional safeguards.
Their concerns include the possibility of land and resources being opened up to outside interests, the need to preserve Ladakh’s cultural identity, and growing environmental pressures from tourism and industrial projects. They also highlight high levels of graduate unemployment and argue that greater local control could create more jobs aligned with Ladakh’s requirements.
The Central government, however, has maintained that the Sixth Schedule was designed for tribal areas in the Northeast and that extending it to Ladakh would require constitutional amendments. It has also raised concerns that Ladakh’s strategic location along the borders with China and Pakistan makes direct central administration more suitable for security and administrative efficiency.
What About The Demand For Statehood?
Alongside the call for Sixth Schedule inclusion, protesters have also been pressing for full statehood for Ladakh. Statehood would give the region its own elected legislative assembly, a chief minister, and greater control over subjects such as law and order, public health, and agriculture.
At present, Ladakh is a Union Territory without a legislature and is run directly by the Centre through the Lieutenant Governor.
While the Sixth Schedule focuses on protecting tribal land, culture, and resources through autonomous councils, statehood would give Ladakh full legislative and executive authority as a state within the Indian Union.
What Role Has Sonam Wangchuk Played?
Sonam Wangchuk, a Ramon Magsaysay Award-winning engineer and innovator known for his work on sustainable solutions in the Himalayas, has become the face of the Sixth Schedule movement. He first petitioned the government in 2019 for Scheduled Area status for Ladakh. Since then, he has staged repeated fasts and protests, often under the banner of the Leh Apex Body.
On September 10, he began a 35-day hunger strike, joined initially by a handful of supporters that grew over time. The strike was intended to remain peaceful and to draw attention to the demand for Sixth Schedule protection. His arrest on September 26, just days before the preparatory talks with the Centre, has turned him into a symbol of Ladakh’s discontent.
How Has The Protest Movement Evolved?
Ladakh was carved out as a Union Territory after Article 370 was repealed in 2019. Many initially welcomed the move, but the absence of a legislature and the weakening of the autonomous hill councils soon caused disillusionment.
That discontent gave birth to the Leh Apex Body and the Kargil Democratic Alliance, who for the first time brought together Buddhist and Muslim groups under a common platform. Their agenda combined statehood with demands for Sixth Schedule inclusion, more recruitment opportunities, and a public service commission.
The movement has escalated over the past two years. In March 2024, talks with the MHA broke down, prompting Wangchuk to stage a fast. A march planned to the China border was cancelled under prohibitory orders. In September 2024, a padyatra to Delhi called for statehood, Sixth Schedule inclusion, jobs, and new parliamentary representation.
The unrest peaked in September 2025, when Leh saw violent clashes that left four dead and 80 injured.
Why Is The Centre Hesitant?
The government has held that the Sixth Schedule was crafted specifically for the Northeast and extending it to Ladakh would require constitutional amendments.
There is also concern about precedent. Extending the framework to Ladakh could encourage other regions to demand similar treatment. The Centre has therefore tried to respond with partial measures. These include reserving most government jobs for locals, introducing women’s reservations in the hill councils, recognising Ladakh’s languages, and granting two Lok Sabha constituencies. Local leaders, however, see these as piecemeal steps that fall short of permanent constitutional protection.
What Are The Challenges Of Sixth Schedule Implementation?
Autonomous Councils in the Northeast often face funding shortfalls, political interference, and capacity limitations. These challenges raise questions about whether such a framework could work effectively in Ladakh. The added factor of national security complicates matters further. Balancing autonomy with border management is a delicate task, especially in a region that has witnessed Chinese incursions and tensions along the Line of Actual Control.
About the Author
Karishma Jain, Chief Sub Editor at News18.com, writes and edits opinion pieces on a variety of subjects, including Indian politics and policy, culture and the arts, technology and social change. Follow her @kar…Read More
Karishma Jain, Chief Sub Editor at News18.com, writes and edits opinion pieces on a variety of subjects, including Indian politics and policy, culture and the arts, technology and social change. Follow her @kar… Read More
September 27, 2025, 13:24 IST
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