Ladakh Protests Seeking Statehood, Sixth Schedule Status

Several people were feared dead and many others injured in Leh city on Tuesday as protests demanding statehood and inclusion of Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution turned violent.

The agitation, which has been ongoing for months, escalated after protestors clashed with security forces. The demonstrators have been pressing for constitutional safeguards to protect Ladakh’s tribal identity, land, and cultural heritage.

The Sixth Schedule, under Articles 244(2) and 275(1) of the Constitution, provides for the creation of Autonomous District Councils (ADCs) with legislative, judicial, and administrative powers. These councils can frame laws relating to land, forests, agriculture, village councils, health, sanitation, policing, inheritance, marriage, social customs, and mining. Each ADC generally comprises up to 30 members elected for five years, though the Bodoland Territorial Council in Assam is an exception, with over 40 members and the power to legislate on 39 subjects.

Currently, the Sixth Schedule applies only to certain areas in the Northeast — Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, and Tripura. Despite their significant tribal populations, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, and Manipur are not covered.

In 2019, the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) recommended extending the Sixth Schedule to Ladakh, noting that over 97% of its population is tribal, land ownership is restricted for outsiders, and the region’s unique cultural and ecological identity requires protection. However, no region outside the Northeast has ever been included under this constitutional provision.

The situation in Leh remains tense, with authorities deploying additional security forces and appealing for calm.