Ladakh delegation arrives in Delhi for talks with Home Ministry today

Leaders from Ladakh have arrived in the national capital to hold talks with Union Home Ministry officials on Wednesday. This will be the first formal dialogue on key issues since the September 24 violence in Leh, which left four dead and nearly 100 injured.

Last week, members of the Leh Apex Body, one of the two main groups spearheading the agitation for statehood and Sixth Schedule status, announced that the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had invited them for fresh discussions scheduled for October 22.

The violence in Leh followed a hunger strike led by climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, who had fasted for 35 days demanding statehood and constitutional safeguards for Ladakh. After the unrest, both the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) had refused to engage in talks with the MHA until their demands, including a judicial probe, were met.

Following weeks of back-channel communication, the Union Government last week ordered a judicial inquiry, paving the way for the resumption of dialogue.

Gelek Phunchok, a member of the LAB, told The Tribune that the leaders have reached Delhi and that sub-committee-level talks will take place on Wednesday. “These talks will set the agenda for the High-Powered Committee, which will meet soon,” he said.

The High-Powered Committee (HPC) for Ladakh is chaired by Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai. Representatives from both the LAB and KDA will attend Wednesday’s meeting with senior MHA officials.

“Our agenda is clear — statehood and Sixth Schedule status,” said Phunchok.

Sources added that the delegation will also raise the issue of the detention of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, who was accused of instigating the Leh violence and detained under the National Security Act before being shifted to a Rajasthan jail. His family has denied the allegations and challenged the detention in the Supreme Court.

Other matters expected to feature in the discussions include the release of detainees arrested following the September 24 violence.