Himalaya campaign group condemns repression of Ladakh’s statehood, 6th schedule movement

By A Representative 

The People for Himalaya, a campaign of progressive groups, civil society organisations and activists from the Himalayan region, has condemned what it termed as the ongoing repression of the popular movement for Sixth Schedule status and statehood in Ladakh. 

In a statement, the campaign expressed deep sorrow over the violence that erupted on September 24 in Leh, leading to the deaths of four people and leaving more than 80 injured, including both civilians and security personnel. Calling the incident “entirely avoidable,” the group held the central government responsible for failing in its commitments and choosing repression over reconciliation.

The campaign said that Ladakh’s demand for inclusion under the Sixth Schedule is long-standing, legitimate, and peaceful, rooted in the aspirations of the region’s predominantly Indigenous tribal population to safeguard their ancestral lands, autonomy, and ecological integrity. Despite several rounds of dialogue, it said, the government has neither granted statehood nor provided constitutional safeguards, a failure the group described as a betrayal.

Highlighting Ladakh’s ecological fragility, the statement noted that the demand is not just political but about ensuring self-governance in a region facing mounting pressures from resource extraction, commercial exploitation, and climate change. The group warned that the Himalayan region is reeling under an unprecedented cycle of disasters, with the monsoons of 2025 exposing its vulnerability and cascading impacts downstream.

The statement also strongly criticised the arrest of Ladakhi climate activist and movement leader Sonam Wangchuk under the National Security Act. It described his detention as an attack on peaceful protest and dissent, noting that Wangchuk had repeatedly called for nonviolence and had undertaken a 15-day hunger strike. The campaign demanded his immediate release and restoration of constitutional rights, as well as an independent judicial inquiry into the Leh incident.

Reiterating solidarity with the people of Ladakh, the People for Himalaya urged the central government to uphold its promises and the constitutional principles of democracy, while ensuring ecological justice in the Himalayan region for current and future generations.