LADAKH PROTESTS: DEMAND FOR STATEHOOD, SIXTH SCHEDULE INCLUSION, Pg 20.

Key Highlights:

• Protests in Leh turned violent on Wednesday amid demands for statehood and inclusion of Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule.
• The protests were organized by the Leh Apex Body in support of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, who has been on a 35-day fast.
• The Union Home Ministry is scheduled to meet with representatives from Ladakh on October 6.
• Sonam Wangchuk was excluded from the delegation heading to Delhi for talks with the Home Ministry.

Detailed Insights:

• The central issue is the government's reluctance to extend Sixth Schedule protections to Ladakh, which provides for Autonomous District Councils with legislative, judicial, and administrative autonomy.
• The government has offered alternative safeguards like domicile-based job reservations and recognition of local languages, but civil society groups insist on Sixth Schedule protections and statehood.
• Talks between the Home Ministry and Ladakh groups have been stalled due to the government's discomfort with Sonam Wangchuk's presence in negotiations.
• Former MP Thupstan Chhewang was named chair of the Leh Apex Body delegation after Wangchuk was dropped, a condition set by the government for talks.
• The Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) supports the protests and demands for statehood and inclusion in the Sixth Schedule, planning a bandh in Kargil in solidarity.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Sixth Schedule: Constitutional provision under Article 244 that allows for autonomous administrative divisions within a state.
• Statehood: The status of being a constituent political entity with its own government, possessing full sovereignty.
• Autonomous District Council: Self-governing body within a state, having legislative, judicial, and administrative powers.