Ladakh may get 'tailor-made' legislative body with Article 371 safeguards: Sonam Wangchuk

Climate activist Soman Wangchuk on Saturday (May 23) said that a “broad consensus” has been reached on restoring democracy in Ladakh through a tailor-made legislative body. He further stated that it would have safeguards based on Article 371.

“Ladakh has always demanded safeguards under Article 244 and the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, and statehood. The government proposed to grant similar safeguards under Article 371, which cannot be implemented without an elected Assembly," he told ANI.

‘In-principle understanding’

Wangchuk, in a post on social media, said discussions held during a meeting at the Ministry of Home Affairs had resulted in what he termed an "in principle understanding."

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He stated that a broad agreement had emerged on restoring democratic mechanisms in the Union Territory through a specially designed legislative framework with executive, financial and legislative powers, alongside safeguards similar to those available under Article 371 of the Constitution.

The meeting was attended by members of the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) and the Leh Apex Body, the two prominent civil society platforms that have led demands for greater autonomy and political safeguards in Ladakh following its reorganisation as a Union Territory in 2019.

Statehood concerns

Addressing the issue of statehood, one of the long-standing demands raised by people in Ladakh, Wangchuk said, present financial realities remain a hurdle. He said the region currently lacks the revenue base needed to sustain government expenditure, particularly employee salaries.

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"Right now, Ladakh does not have that much revenue to pay for government employees," he said, adding that discussions had centred around creating an Assembly structure that may not amount to full statehood but could function as an interim arrangement until the region develops stronger revenue generation capacity.

Administrative powers under discussion

Wangchuk further stated that administrative control also formed a key part of the discussions. Under the proposal being considered, he said the elected head of the legislative body would exercise authority over the Chief Secretary and the wider administrative setup, unlike the current arrangement, where those powers rest with the Lieutenant Governor.

However, he cautioned against reading the proposal as a final decision. "There was only a proposal, and no decision was taken as we need to work on its details. I would say the work is still in progress,” he said.