The Kashmir Pulse

LEH — The proposed Kargil-Leh Peace and Justice Padyatra has been postponed following the announcement of fresh talks between Ladakh representatives and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) scheduled for September 9 in New Delhi.

Leh Apex Body member and social activist Sonam Wangchuk said the decision to defer the march was taken in view of the upcoming meeting, expressing hope that the dialogue would produce a meaningful outcome.

The 15-day march was earlier 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 protection under the Sixth Schedule and other issues forming part of the region’s four-point agenda.

The MHA has formally scheduled a meeting of its sub-committee with representatives from Ladakh for September 9 in New Delhi. The Ladakh Chief Secretary has described the meeting as part of the ongoing dialogue aimed at deepening democratic processes in the Union Territory.

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

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

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

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

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

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

The organisers have appealed for continued public support for Ladakh’s demands, making clear that the postponement is linked to the expectation of meaningful progress through dialogue.

JAMMU — The joining of 223 outstanding sportspersons selected for government service under the sports quota remains uncertain amid an issue involving an individual candidate from Jammu, leaving the selected athletes awaiting a decision from the Jammu and Kashmir Government.

The selected sportspersons said they are being made to suffer for a matter unrelated to their own selection and urged the government to resolve the issue without further delay.

The controversy is linked to the case of Surya Pratap Singh of Jammu, an Asian Games medalist who, according to the selected sportspersons, was excluded from the selection process on what they described as “duping charges”.

Singh subsequently staged a protest in Jammu seeking government employment, following which Sports Minister Satish Sharma assured him of a job.

According to news agency KNT, the development has created uncertainty around the appointment process involving the 223 selected sportspersons, leaving them unable to join their assigned government duties.

The affected athletes have questioned why candidates who have already been selected for government service should be prevented from joining because of an issue involving an individual candidate.

“What is our fault?” the selected sportspersons asked, saying they had completed the required process and earned their selection through sporting achievements but were now being left in uncertainty.

They argued that if the government had found them eligible and selected them for appointment, there should be no reason to keep their joining on hold indefinitely.

The sportspersons appealed to the Lieutenant Governor’s administration and the concerned departments to resolve the matter administratively and ensure that the appointment process of the 223 selected candidates is not held up because of an individual case.

They said the government could address any dispute concerning an individual candidate separately without affecting the appointments of those already selected.

The athletes have called for immediate intervention by the administration so they can join their duties instead of remaining caught in what they described as an unresolved administrative situation.

Repeated attempts to contact Sports Minister Satish Sharma for his response were unsuccessful.

SRINAGAR — High-altitude areas of Jammu and Kashmir have experienced warming of nearly 1°C over the past two decades at several locations, including Pahalgam and Gulmarg, according to a study based on 45 years of temperature observations.

Published in Scientific Reports, the study analysed temperature records from 1980 to 2024 from 10 India Meteorological Department observatories across Jammu and Kashmir.

The stations covered in the analysis were Jammu, Srinagar, Pahalgam, Gulmarg, Qazigund, Kokernag, Kupwara, Banihal, Batote and Bhaderwah.

Researchers found evidence of elevation-dependent warming, with temperature trends varying across the region’s elevation range.

The annual mean temperature increased at a rate of 0.18°C per kilometre per decade, while the winter maximum temperature showed an elevation-dependent trend of 0.43°C per kilometre per decade, according to the study.

Warming was particularly pronounced at several high-altitude locations, including Pahalgam and Gulmarg, where temperatures have risen by nearly 1°C over the past two decades.

The researchers linked wintertime elevation-dependent warming to surface-albedo processes, while increases in minimum temperatures were associated more closely with atmospheric moisture and longwave radiative conditions.

The study said the observed temperature changes have implications for high-altitude hydrology, the cryosphere and climate resilience in the Himalayan region.