Activist Sonam Wangchuk has accused the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government of reneging on its commitments to Ladakh after a fresh round of talks between the Centre and the region’s leadership, expected to take place in Delhi on Thursday, October 22, was called off.
Wangchuk, who travelled to Delhi expecting the meeting to take place, said he was subsequently informed that the talks would not be held. He expressed disappointment over what he described as the Centre’s failure to honour its promises to the people of Ladakh, including demands for constitutional safeguards and greater political representation.
“On one hand China is building pressure. They don’t even recognise Ladakh and (say) Ladakh is a part of China,” Wangchuk said in a video statement. “But the country we love is not treating us well. They are moving away from every promise to the extent that they are not giving the people of Ladakh the same status as the rest of the people.”
Wangchuk says repeated assurances have not translated into progress
Wangchuk said the previous round of discussions, held in Leh on October 15 between Union Home Ministry officials and Ladakh representatives, had failed to produce any meaningful outcome.
“First of all, I would like to tell you that the talks on October 15 in Leh were a total failure. There was no result because the Centre moved away from its promises,” he said. “Then they said that they will hold the talks again on October 22 in Delhi. So I booked my tickets… but now it is being told that the talks are not being held.”
The activist, who was jailed for six months under the National Security Act (NSA), urged the Centre to convene the discussions at the earliest and address the concerns raised by Ladakh’s residents.
“Otherwise, I am sad to say that they are moving away from every promise, whether it is the 6th Schedule, which was the first promise, or the assembly or the talks,” he said, adding that people living in the strategically important border region were deeply disappointed.
Disagreement over proposed legislature stalls negotiations
The October 15 meeting failed to secure a significant breakthrough, despite the two sides having reached an understanding on key points during an earlier meeting on May 22.
During the May discussions, Ladakh’s representatives had scaled down their demands and accepted the Centre’s offer of a special constitutional arrangement under Article 371(K), aimed at protecting the region’s identity, land and employment opportunities.
However, disagreements resurfaced during the October meeting. Ladakh’s leadership accused the Centre of backtracking on its assurances and argued that the proposed legislature would have limited powers, comparable to those exercised by the region’s Hill councils.
The Home Ministry presented a 32-page draft proposal, but Ladakh’s representatives rejected it, saying the proposed arrangement did not adequately address their demands for meaningful political and constitutional safeguards.
Despite the lack of progress, the Centre had agreed to another round of talks in Delhi on October 22, according to the Ladakh leadership, which had hoped the meeting would help move the negotiations forward. The anticipated meeting has now failed to take place, prompting renewed criticism from Wangchuk.
The dispute centres on long-standing demands for constitutional protection, safeguards for land and jobs, and an elected legislature with sufficient powers to represent Ladakh’s interests.