Kamal Ghorui
SRINAGAR: Ladakhi delegates have said environmentalist and Leh Apex Body (LAB) member Sonam Wangchuk should be included in the next round of talks with the Centre.Addressing a gathering LAB had organised to welcome Wangchuk in Leh on Sunday, its co-chairman Tsering Dorjay Lakrook said any future dialogue should include the environmentalist, given his prominent role and the public support he enjoys.Lakrook said Ladakhi representatives were approaching negotiations with sincerity and urged the government to respond in the same spirit. He termed Wangchuk’s release a positive step. However, he said, the broader struggle for Ladakh’s demands would continue.He also called for the withdrawal of cases against those arrested after the Sept 24, 2025, protests in Leh in which four people were killed in police firing and around 80 others were injured. The protesters were demanding statehood for the region and its inclusion in the sixth schedule of the Constitution to grant greater autonomy.On March 14, the ministry of home affairs (MHA) revoked Wangchuk’s detention under National Security Act (NSA), stating that the “government remains committed to providing all necessary safeguards for Ladakh”.The MHA also said that “it remains hopeful that the issues concerning the region will be resolved through constructive engagement and dialogue”.Police in Leh had arrested Wangchuk on Sept 26, 2025, and booked him under NSA before lodging him in a Jodhpur jail for allegedly provoking the violent protests two days earlier.The first round of talks between the MHA panel and Ladakhi representatives from LAB and Kargil Democratic Alliance was held in New Delhi on Oct 22 last year after the MHA ordered an inquiry into the Sept 24 firing. The most recent round of talks took place on Feb 4 but remained inconclusive. Ladakhi leaders have sought another round of talks soon.
