SRINAGAR: In a 29-page draft submitted to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) have demanded 6th Schedule status for Ladakh, the creation of a 30-member Legislative Assembly under a proposed Article 371-K, and a general amnesty for those arrested in connection with the September 14 violence in Leh.

The document, titled “Sixth Schedule Provisions and a case for Statehood: Draft Framework for Ladakh”, was submitted to the MHA on November 14. It proposes integrating the proposed State of Ladakh under Article 371 as Article 371-K.

Highlighting the region’s demographic composition, the draft notes that Ladakh is predominantly tribal, with over 90% of the population belonging to tribes such as Changpa, Balti, Beda, Bot, Brokpa, Dard, Gara, Mon, and Purigpa. It argues that this tribal majority warrants inclusion under the 6th Schedule, citing Articles 244 and 275 of the Constitution, and points to the successful models of autonomous councils in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram.

The draft recalled that the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) formally recommended in 2019 that Ladakh be included in the 6th Schedule owing to its tribal population. It further stated that the creation of the Ladakh Union Territory without a legislative assembly has led to a sense of disenfranchisement among locals, depriving them of a voice in governance.