Shutdown, protest rallies in Ladakh over Statehood, Sixth Schedule demands

Protest rallies were held in Ladakh on Monday (March 16, 2026), marking the first instance since violence erupted in September last year, on the call of the socio-political groupings of the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) and the Leh Apex Body (LAB) to press for Statehood status and inclusion in the Sixth Schedule.

Hundreds of locals marched from Singay Namgyal Chowk up to Leh Polo Ground in Leh town. In Kargil, protesters held a rally in the town that was attended by hundreds of locals. The KDA and the LAB had called for shutdown on March 16 in Ladakh. Protesters were carrying banners and raising slogans in favour of Statehood and the Sixth Schedule. They raised slogans that the current Union Territory status was unacceptable to the region. Ladakah was carved out as a U.T. in 2019 from the Kashmir division of erstwhile State of Jammu & Kashmir.

“For the last six years, the people of Ladakh have been deprived of democratic representation and constitutional safeguards. The voices from the mountains are growing louder for justice, rights, and restoration of democracy. Although our activist Sonam Wangchuk has been released, our struggle for legitimate rights will continue. We also demand the release of Deldan Namgyal and Smanla Dorjey,” said Sajjad Kargili, a member of the KDA.

In Leh, the protesters also recalled those who died in the protests in September. On September 24, 2025, four civilians were killed and around 90 persons were injured in protests. It was followed by the arrest of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk on September 26 under the National Security Act (NSA). Leh witnessed imposition of multiple spells of curfew and internet outage.

“The decision to revoke the detention order of Mr. Wangchuk symbolises a triumph for Ladakh and restores the dignity of the community, which had been unfairly targeted by such accusations. While the removal of the detention order is a significant achievement, the broader demands of the movement remain unresolved. The relay protests are being conducted with full commitment to non-violence,” said Dorjay Lakrook, chairman of LAB.