New Delhi [India], September 10 (ANI): Following discussions with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) subcommittee regarding the long-standing demands of Ladakh, MP Mohmad Haneefa Jan stated that the Central government is "very serious" and actively working towards providing a democratic setup with legislative, executive, and financial powers, along with constitutional safeguards under Article 371.
A meeting of the Ladakh sub-committee and the MHA was held on Wednesday and attended by the leadership of the Apex Body and the Kargil Democratic Alliance.
Speaking to ANI on the progress of the talks, the Ladakh MP explained the consensus reached over the region’s governance structure and financial viability.
"We had reached a consensus that, given Ladakh's limited financial revenue, the government could not fund a full-fledged legislature, even though we had originally demanded full statehood. Since obtaining statehood quickly was unlikely due to Ladakh's small population, our revised demand was for at least a legislature with law-making powers," Jan said.
He further noted that the Centre showed openness towards a legislative model while highlighting fiscal self-sufficiency.
"The government was largely open to the idea of a legislature, but it clarified that it could not provide the necessary funding from the Union budget; Ladakh would have to generate its own revenue to sustain it. Consequently, a consensus was reached to provide Ladakh with a democratic setup at the Union Territory level, one endowed with legislative, executive, and financial powers," he said.
Highlighting the outcome of the recent subcommittee meeting, Jan expressed optimism over the roadmap being charted by the MHA.
"Yesterday's meeting made it clear that the government is very serious; the MHA, in particular, is working very hard. It was also clarified that there will be elected representatives for this body, a delimitation process will take place, constituencies will be formed, and essentially, a legislature will be established," the MP added.
He further emphasised the assurance received regarding constitutional protections: "Furthermore, the safeguards to be provided under Article 371 were clarified; we were assured of protection covering land, culture, language, the environment, and even mining; all these aspects will be safeguarded under Article 371."
Reflecting on the core pillars of the four-point agenda spearheaded by Ladakh's leadership over the past several years, Jan stated the context behind the agitation.
"First, there was a need for a democratic setup, given the administrative changes that had taken place. Second, there was concern that the safeguards previously provided under Articles 370 and 35A, protecting our land, culture, environment, and other interests, had been removed, leaving us without adequate protection. So, the two major issues were constitutional safeguards and a democratic setup," he said.
Acknowledging the continuous engagement by the Centre despite protests, he added, "Throughout the journey of the last five or six years regarding this four-point agenda, we have had to make appeals and even take to the streets; however, a positive aspect has been that the government maintained a continuous dialogue with us; there were never any interruptions in this process."
Jan also underscored the importance of resolving issues affecting the younger generation and the resumption of employment drives in the Union Territory.
"We remained steadfast on the four-point agenda, and several issues were resolved over time. Especially for our youth, referred to today as 'Gen Z'—many educated young people who had been studying in various states and preparing for competitive exams at the national, state, or UT/district levels had begun to feel despondent about their future. Consequently, there was an urgent need to restart the recruitment processes that had been stalled," he said.
Earlier, Thupstan Chhewang, former MP from Ladakh, also described the meeting as positive, cordial and constructive, stating that the discussions were held in a conducive atmosphere and reflected a willingness on the part of the government to engage with the representatives of Ladakh on the region’s major concerns and long-pending demands.
The Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) have demanded inclusion in the Sixth Schedule, which also led to widespread protests in the Union Territory in September 2025.
The Centre had earlier proposed that the Union Territory Administration would constitute an Autonomous Hill Development Council in each of the seven districts, providing a framework under Article 371. Ladakh moved from two districts to seven in April, when Sham, Nubra, Changthang, Zanskar, and Drass were notified. (ANI)
MHA serious on legislative setup, Article 371 safeguards for Ladakh: MP Mohmad Haneefa Jan
