Leh Apex Body pulls out of talks with Centre until normalcy is restored in Ladakh

The alliance accused the UT administration of mishandling the situation that led to the September 24 violence, in which four people were killed and dozens injured.

Srinagar: The Apex Body Leh (ABL) on Monday pulled out of scheduled talks with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in New Delhi on October 6 while the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) demanded the immediate release of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, who has been jailed under the National Security Act (NSA).

The ABL said it could not continue dialogue after what it termed the “criminalisation of a democratic movement.” The group cited three reasons for its decision – the arrest of Wangchuk, branding of the protests as “anti-national,” and the killing of four youths in police firing during violent clashes in Leh on September 24.

“The Centre has betrayed Ladakh’s trust by responding to peaceful demands with bullets and jails,” an ABL leader said, announcing the boycott of talks.

In Kargil, the KDA convened an emergency meeting on Monday and warned the Union government that failure to meet core demands – statehood for Ladakh, Sixth Schedule safeguards for land and jobs, and separate parliamentary representation for Leh and Kargil – was “pushing the region into deeper alienation.”

The alliance accused the Union Territory administration of mishandling the situation that led to the September 24 violence, in which four people were killed and dozens, including security personnel, were injured.

The arrest of Wangchuk, an internationally recognised climate campaigner who has become the face of Ladakh’s political mobilisation in recent years, has added a new edge to the crisis. The police allege he had links across the border and was “instigating unrest,” but his supporters insist he has only championed local rights and sustainable development.

The demand for statehood in Ladakh has been building since August 2019, when the region was carved out of Jammu and Kashmir and turned into a Union Territory without an elected assembly. Many Ladakhis initially welcomed the move, hoping it would bring development and visibility to the sparsely populated, strategically vital Himalayan region. But over time, concerns about loss of constitutional protections for land, culture and jobs led to widespread discontent.

In 2021, the ABL – a coalition of political, religious, and social organisations in Leh – and the KDA in Kargil came together to form a rare united front. Their joint platform has repeatedly pressed for full-fledged statehood and constitutional safeguards under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, which protects tribal communities. Despite multiple rounds of talks with the Centre, there has been little progress.

The September 24 clashes, the deadliest in Ladakh in years, have cast a shadow over the future of dialogue. While the Centre has so far maintained silence after Wangchuk’s arrest, Ladakh’s two main political formations have hardened their stance.

“The government cannot hope to crush Ladakh’s aspirations through force,” a KDA leader said Monday, warning that any further delay could deepen mistrust.