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As the Union Government has invited Ladakh’s leaders to New Delhi on September 9 for another round of negotiations, the agitating groups in Ladakh have announced the postponement of their proposed Kargil-to-Leh foot march, which was scheduled to begin on September 10.

Leh Apex Body (LAB) member and social activist Sonam Wangchuk informed the media that the decision to defer the march was taken in view of the upcoming meeting. He expressed hope that the talks would yield a meaningful outcome.

The 15-day march was scheduled to begin from Kargil on September 10 and proceed towards Leh. It was planned to highlight Ladakh’s long-pending demands, including statehood, constitutional safeguards under the Sixth Schedule and other issues forming part of the region’s four-point agenda.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has scheduled a meeting of its sub-committee with representatives of Ladakh for September 9 in New Delhi. The Ladakh Administration has described the meeting as part of the ongoing dialogue aimed at strengthening democratic processes in the Union Territory.

Wangchuk said the decision to postpone the padyatra should not be viewed as an end to the agitation, adding that the outcome of the September 9 talks would determine the next course of action.

He said that if the discussions resulted in substantive progress on Ladakh’s demands, there would be no need to proceed with the march. However, if the talks again resulted in delays or what he described as “dilly-dallying tactics”, the padyatra would be revived.

Wangchuk also indicated that the march could be modified if it is resumed. Instead of the originally planned long-distance foot march, the organisers may consider a shorter version while continuing to mobilise support for Ladakh’s broader demands.

The proposed march was conceived as a peaceful campaign along the Kargil-Leh route and was backed by the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) and the Leh Apex Body, besides several political and civil-society groups.

The organisers had planned to conclude the march in Leh on September 24, coinciding with a candlelight vigil marking the first anniversary of the deaths during protests in Leh in September 2025.

With the march now put on hold, attention has shifted to the September 9 meeting in New Delhi. The outcome of the talks is expected to determine whether the proposed street mobilisation remains suspended or is revived in a shorter form.

Ladakh-based organisations have placed full statehood, inclusion under the Sixth Schedule, constitutional safeguards and the unconditional withdrawal of 87 cases linked to the violence of September 24 among their primary demands. Other demands include an elected legislative assembly headed by a Chief Minister, the establishment of a Public Service Commission and one Lok Sabha seat each for Leh and Kargil.

During talks with the Centre on May 22, broad agreement in principle was reached on constituting an elected body with executive, legislative and financial powers, along with constitutional protection under Article 371. The proceedings reflecting that understanding were formally signed at a subsequent meeting held in Leh on July 3.

The upcoming meeting carries added significance as the Leh Apex Body and the Kargil Democratic Alliance have placed a fresh set of demands before the Centre, including an elected legislative assembly, substantial control over finances and law and order, a separate Public Service Commission and constitutional safeguards for Ladakh.

Ladakh Chief Secretary Ashish Kundra confirmed that the Union Home Ministry’s sub-committee has scheduled its meeting for September 9, describing it as part of the ongoing dialogue aimed at strengthening democratic processes in Ladakh.

The development follows a meeting held in Leh on August 19 between an MHA team and representatives of the LAB and KDA, during which Ladakh’s groups reiterated a set of demands they described as “non-negotiable”.