Social activist Sonam Wangchuk has warned of a fresh agitation in Ladakh from September 19 to 24 if the government fails to provide assurances on key demands within a week. The warning came after Wangchuk expressed disappointment over talks between Ladakh representatives and a sub-committee of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs in New Delhi. The discussions focused on Ladakh’s demands for statehood and constitutional safeguards.
In a post on X, Sonam Wangchuk said leaders of the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) were “rather disappointed” with the outcome of the meeting. Taking a swipe at the talks, he shared an old clip of comedian Jaspal Bhatti, suggesting that little progress had been made. The LAB had earlier planned a padyatra from Kargil to Leh on September 10 but postponed it following the talks with the MHA. “We have collectively decided to postpone the padyatra for the time being,” Wangchuk said.
However, he warned that the march could be revived if the government failed to make satisfactory progress on Ladakh’s demands. Wangchuk said the Apex Body expected the government to present a detailed draft on the proposed Ladakh Assembly, including its powers and rights. “If there is progress on these issues, we will consider the talks successful,” he said.
He also appealed for nationwide support for the people of Ladakh and environmental concerns in the region. “We will once again appeal to people from across India to come forward in support of Ladakh, in support of the environment, and in support of the people of Ladakh who remain steadfast on the country's borders,” Wangchuk said.
Warning of a larger protest, he said Ladakh could not be subjected to unequal treatment. “If Ladakh is not treated in the same manner... and a stepmotherly treatment is meted out to Ladakh and the people living along the borders, then we will be compelled to launch a very large-scale agitation,” he said.
Sonam Wangchuk had spent around six months in Jodhpur jail after being booked under the National Security Act following violence in Ladakh last September. He was arrested on September 26, two days after protests demanding greater autonomy turned violent, leaving four people dead and several others injured. The Union government had accused Wangchuk of provoking the violence. He was released in March 2026. After his release, Wangchuk also joined student protests over alleged irregularities in the NEET examination and observed a 26-day hunger strike beginning on June 28.
