Ladakh leader says Wangchuk should become member of central Ladakh negotiating team

Srinagar: Ladakh representative says environmentalists and Leh Apex Body (LAB) members Golden Wangchuck should be included in the next round of talks with the Centre.Speaking at a gathering organized by the LAB to welcome Wangchuk in Leh on Sunday, its co-chairman Tsering Dorjay Lakrook said the environmentalist should be included in any future conversations given his prominent role and the public support he enjoys.Lakrok said Ladakh representatives were negotiating in good faith and urged the government to respond in the same spirit. He called Wangchuk’s release a positive step. However, he said the broader fight for Ladakh’s demands would continue.He also called for the withdrawal of cases against those arrested after the Leh protests on September 24, 2025, in which four people were killed and around 80 injured in police firing. Protesters are demanding statehood for the region and inclusion in Article 6 of the constitution to grant greater autonomy.On March 14, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) revoked Wangchuck’s detention under the National Security Act (NSA) and stated that “the government remains committed to providing all necessary safeguards to Ladakh”.The Interior Ministry also said it “remains hopeful that issues concerning the area will be resolved through constructive engagement and dialogue.”Leh police arrested Wangchuck on September 26, 2025 and booked him under the NSA before locking him up in Jodhpur jail on charges of inciting violent protests two days earlier.The first round of talks between the Home Ministry team and the Ladakh representatives of the Labor Party and the Kargil Democratic Alliance were held in New Delhi on October 22 last year after the Home Ministry ordered an inquiry into the September 24 sackings. The latest round of negotiations was held on February 4, but still without results. Ladakh leaders seek another round of talks soon.