Leh, January 26, 2025 – Chering Dorjay Lakrook, Co-Chairman of the Apex Body Leh, addressed the media today regarding the recent discussions held with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on 15 January , 2025. The talks included key issues such as Sonam Wangchuk’s ongoing Pad Yatra to Zojila and the broader concerns surrounding domicile and job reservations in Ladakh.

Lakrook stated that the Pad Yatra has been paused temporarily, awaiting the outcome of the next round of talks with the MHA. He emphasized the need for unity among all stakeholders, asserting that if the talks do not yield favorable results, the people of Ladakh will take collective action.

Addressing the issue of constitutional safeguards, he reiterated the Apex Body’s rejection of Article 371 as a solution and highlighted the importance of implementing the 6th Schedule to secure Ladakh’s future. He noted that the minutes of the first meeting held in December have not yet been released due to the ongoing Parliament session, and he urged the MHA to expedite the process for both the first and second meeting minutes.

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On domicile rules, Lakrook clarified that Ladakh UT’s domicile policy allows benefits after 15 years of residence. He also raised concerns over the misuse of EWS (Economically Weaker Sections) benefits in Drass and urged the MHA to restrict EWS job reservations in Ladakh to a maximum of 2-3% or eliminate them entirely. He highlighted that 95% of job reservations in Ladakh, for both gazetted and non-gazetted positions, are based on ST (Scheduled Tribe) status, ensuring protections for Ladakhi youth.

He further addressed the grievances of unemployed youths in Ladakh and assured that these concerns would be raised with the MHA in the next round of talks.

Lakrook concluded by affirming the Apex Body’s ultimate demand for Statehood and constitutional safeguards and the inclusion of Ladakh under the 6th Schedule to preserve the region’s unique identity and rights.