New Delhi [India], September 27 (ANI): Claiming that little progress has been made in fulfilling the demands over statehood for Ladakh and securing Sixth Schedule protections, activist Sonam Wangchuk on Sunday travelled to Delhi, marking one year since he was detained under the National Security Act (NSA) following the violence which took place in Leh on September 24 of last year.
“I had to come to Delhi to tell the country that it’s been a year since those incidents in Ladakh. My own family went to Jodhpur jail today, September 27th,” Wangchuk told ANI.
“It’s been a year since my first day there, when I woke up in the morning. I want to ask what happened to the results of the inquiry commission set up for those incidents. When will the officials, the Governor, the Lieutenant Governor, and the Home Minister who ordered these actions actually give us answers? So it still hasn’t been resolved, and those who were martyred still aren’t getting proper compensation. The remaining cases are still ongoing, and people are left half-dead. There’s no accountability,” he added.
While Wangchuk expressed hope that progress will be made before Gandhi Jayanti (October 2) in talks with the government, he also expressed disappointment over little progress being made, looking at the previous talks.
“We also have Gandhi Jayanti in October. Before that, we want to see some actual progress on the ground, not just empty promises. Otherwise, as citizens, we’ll have to resort to peaceful protests and demonstrations. We’ll let you know our decision on that later. We hope it won’t come to that,” he said.
He claimed that policy decisions are being made beforehand without consultation from the locals.
“All the policy decisions are being made beforehand—whether it’s about land, industrial policy, tourism policy, or local governance. If they get all that done now, what’s left for the democratic structure to do? Or are they saying the democratic structure will never even come into place, and they’re just operating on that assumption?” he said.
In the backdrop of the serious law and order situation that arose in the peace-loving city of Leh on September 24, 2025, and led to four deaths amid police action. Wangchuk was detained on September 26, 2025, under the provisions of the NSA pursuant to an order issued by the District Magistrate, Leh, with a view to maintaining public order. Wangchuk has already undergone nearly half of the period of detention under the said Act before being released from the Jodhpur Jail in March 2026.
Earlier, on September 23, Ladakh Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena approved the withdrawal of criminal cases against 20 individuals linked to the violence that erupted in Leh, citing the larger interest of peace, public tranquillity and social harmony in the Union Territory.
In a post on X, Ladakh LG wrote, “In the larger interest of peace, public tranquillity, and social harmony in Ladakh, I have approved the withdrawal of criminal cases against 20 individuals, related to the unfortunate violence that erupted in Leh on September 24 last year.”
Meanwhile, a meeting of the Ladakh sub-committee and the Ministry of Home Affairs was held on September 9. It was attended by the leadership of the Apex Body and the Kargil Democratic Alliance.
According to the Chief Secretary of Ladakh, Ashish Kundra, the two parties discussed incorporating a special provision under Article 371 to protect the interests of the local population. (ANI)
Related reading
