Apex Body Leh defers padyatra ahead of Ministry of Home Affairs talks

The Apex Body Leh (ABL) has postponed its scheduled September 10 padyatra, a foot march through the region, to allow for a crucial meeting with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in New Delhi on September 9.

The meeting involves representatives from both Leh and Kargil to discuss long-standing demands for Ladakh, including statehood, constitutional safeguards under the Sixth Schedule, greater administrative autonomy, and protections for local recruitment.

Environmental activist Sonam Wangchuk and ABL leadership stated that the decision to defer the march is intended to give the dialogue process a genuine opportunity. However, they warned that if the talks fail to produce a concrete, time-bound, and constructive outcome, they will re-launch intensified, region-wide agitations and potentially invite national support for Ladakh’s demands.