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3 min readSrinagarUpdated: Apr 13, 2026 07:07 PM IST
Sonam Wangchuk was arrested under the National Security Act (NSA) after this and spent six months incarcerated at Jodhpur jail. (Source: File)
Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk on Monday urged the Centre to resume talks with the groups representing Ladakh’s socio-political leadership, calling for issues to be resolved at the earliest “in national interest”.
Talks between the Union Ministry of Home Affairs and the two Ladakh groups — the Apex Body Leh and the Kargil Democratic Alliance — have remained at an impasse since violence broke out in Leh in September last year, leading to the deaths of four people in police firing. Wangchuk was arrested under the National Security Act (NSA) after this and spent six months incarcerated at Jodhpur jail.
Remarking that Ladakh remains “hanging between trust and mistrust”, Wangchuk said that since the revocation of his detention order had “given us hope that the Centre was willing to correct past mistakes, as it spoke of building mutual trust for a constructive and meaningful dialogue”.
However, he added that even after 2.5 months had passed since the last dialogue was held on February 4, “Not even a date for the next round of talks has been announced.” He also warned that “shady entities” are using this gap to sow seeds of Leh–Kargil divide.
On February 4, when the High Powered Committee, constituted by the Ministry of Home Affairs, met in the national capital, talks remained inconclusive and a future date for continuing the dialogue process was not announced.
In March, demonstrations were held across Ladakh after the KDA called for a shutdown over demands for greater democratic representation for the people of the region.
On March 12, co-chairman of the KDA, Asgar Ali Karbalai, said, “We have reached the end of our tether, and we want to inform the government of India and the people of India that we will not sit quietly and we will continue the fight for our constitutional rights. The key part of that is statehood and inclusion under the sixth schedule.”
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Detailing the efforts of the last five years, Karbalai said, “After the meeting with the Centre on February 4, according to us — the ABL, KDA and the people of Ladakh — it ended without any conclusions. MHA had promised to set up another meeting in another 15 days, and till now we have not heard back.”
Since 2020, he said, the High-Powered Committee and the sub-committee that is part of it, have met over 15 times, and after every meeting, they say that another meeting will be scheduled to address the demands of the people of Ladakh.
On Monday, Wangchuk said, “As people in this sensitive border region grow disheartened and demoralised, I urge PM Narendra Modi ji and HM Amit Shah ji to take timely measures, in national interest, to resolve the issues at the earliest.”
Naveed Iqbal is a Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, and reports from Jammu and Kashmir. With a career spanning over 15 years in frontline journalism, Naveed provides authoritative reporting on the region’s transition, governance, and the socio-political implications of national policies. Expertise Regional Specialization: Based in the Srinagar and New Delhi bureaus, Naveed has spent over a decade documenting the unique challenges of Jammu and Kashmir. Her reporting is distinguished by deep contextual knowledge of the region's post-Article 370, statehood debates, and local electoral politics. Key Coverage Beats: Her extensive body of work covers: Politics & Governance: Tracking the National Conference (NC), PDP, and BJP dynamics, including in-depth coverage of J&K’s first Assembly sessions and Rajya Sabha polls following the reorganization of the state. Internal Security & Justice: Providing rigorous reporting on counter-insurgency operations, terror module investigations, and judicial developments involving political detainees and constitutional rights. Education & Minority Affairs: Highlighting systemic issues such as quota rows in J&K, public service commission reforms, and the challenges faced by minority communities. ... Read More
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