Two senior Leh officials express concern over ‘protest marches’; ask the Kargil and Leh authorities to abide by the May 2025 agreement

Protesters from Ladakh hold a banner demanding statehood and other democratic rights for their region during a protest in New Delhi. File | Photo credit: AP

Two senior regional leaders from Ladakh’s Leh, Tsering Samphel and Rigzin Spalbar, have expressed concern over protest marches proposed to demand statehood for Ladakh and its inclusion in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution. Instead, they push for local council elections in newly created constituencies.

“We are strongly opposed to holding any padyatra (walk) or protests in Leh while formal talks are going on following the agreement we signed consensually. Such steps at this juncture will only weaken our collective bargaining power. The satisfactory sixth meeting with the MHA (Union Ministry of Home Affairs) chairman in New Delhi must be followed up with Mr. Sbar’s sincere development personality to take it to his former Mr. Sbar. Council-Leh and Mr. Samphel, former president of the Ladakh Buddhist Association, said.

The move comes against the backdrop of the ongoing “Martyrs’ Month” observed in Ladakh to remember the four civilians who died during protests in Leh in September 2025. Both the Leh Apex Body and the Kargil Democratic Alliance are supporting the first commemorative gatherings on the death anniversary. Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk also backed the campaign trail to pressurize New Delhi to fulfill promises made during talks between the Union government and Ladakh representatives on 22 May and 9 September 2025.

Leh Apex Body co-chairman Chering Dorjay Lakrook at a press conference in Leh pointed out the “unsatisfactory” compensation of ₹15 lakh to the families of those who died in the protests in 2025. “The compensation amount is unsatisfactory. On the other hand, victims of the NEET paper leak were promised ₹1 million. We reject this duplicity,” Mr Lakrook said.

At the conference, Mr. Wangchuk said there had been attempts to discourage people from participating in the “Month of Martyrs.” “There are attempts that the planned padyatras, from September 19 to 24, to pay tribute to the deceased, are not taking place and people are not talking about their rights. We have already welcomed the results of May 22 (2025), but proposals for details and even responses to our non-negotiable issues have not come,” said Mr. Wangchuk.

He sought an assurance that no major decision should be taken on matters such as land until the assembly, as assured on 22 May 2025, forms. “We demand transparency,” added the climate activist.

But they were “deeply concerned about the recent misunderstandings and erosion of trust between the top leadership of the Buddhist community at a time when Ladakh stands at a historical crossroads”, Mr Spalbar and Mr Samphel said in their open letter.

They urged the leadership of the Leh Apex Body and the Kargil Democratic Alliance to “strictly adhere to the agreement reached on 22 May (2025) and subsequently signed in Leh to achieve the agreed points”.

“We appeal not to deviate from the said agreement and already agreed path. Ladakh’s struggle has always been led by non-violence, wisdom and unity. Let us not lose it in the last hour,” they added.

In support of the “historic consensus” reached by all parties at Leh, which was consensually signed with the Centre, they appealed that “no statement or action has been taken to disturb the atmosphere and derail the talks”. “A goal that is already agreed and signed must not fail due to any confusion,” they added.

Mr Spalbar and Mr Samphel also called for “immediate preparations to hold elections to all the seven hill councils” recently announced by the administration of the Lt Governor of Jammu and Kashmir and urged “to hold these elections as soon as possible to fulfill the fair, legitimate and democratic aspirations of the people”.

Published – 15 Sep 2026 16:14 IST