Ladakhi leaders say Wangchuk should be part of Ladakh-Centre talks panel | India News
SRINAGAR: Ladakhi representatives said environmentalists and Leh Apex Body (LAB) members Sonam Wangchuk should be included in subsequent discussions with the Centre.Addressing a rally organized by the LAB to welcome Wangchuk in Leh on Sunday, its co-chairman Tsering Dorje Lakruk said any future dialogue should include the environmentalist, adding that he enjoys his prominent role and public support.Lakruk said the Ladakhi delegation was approaching the talks with sincerity and urged the government to respond in the same spirit. He called Wangchuk’s release a positive step. However, he said, the larger struggle for the claim of Ladakh will continue.He called for the withdrawal of cases against those arrested after the September 24, 2025, protests in Leh in which four people were killed and around 80 injured in police firing. The protesters were demanding its inclusion in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution to provide statehood and greater autonomy for the region.On 14 March, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) revoked Wangchuk’s detention under the National Security Act (NSA), saying “the government is committed to providing all necessary security to Ladakh”.The MHA also said that “it is hopeful that issues related to the region will be resolved through constructive engagement and dialogue”.Police in Leh arrested Wangchuk on September 26, 2025 and booked him under the NSA before remanding him in Jodhpur Jail for allegedly inciting violent protests two days earlier.The first round of talks between the MHA panel and Ladakhi representatives of the LAB and Kargil Democratic Alliance was held in New Delhi on October 22 last year after the MHA ordered a probe into the September 24 firing. The most recent round of talks was held on February 4 but was not resolved. Ladakhi leaders have sought another round of talks soon.
