Sonam Wangchuk Criticises Centre Over Ladakh Autonomy and Demands Legislature

Activist Sonam Wangchuk has accused the Ministry of Home Affairs of going back on earlier promises regarding political autonomy and constitutional safeguards for the Union Territory of Ladakh. Speaking at a press conference in New Delhi on Thursday, Mr. Wangchuk stated that the Centre had previously indicated it would eventually grant statehood to the region during past talks.

Meeting Cancelled

Mr. Wangchuk and advocate Vikram Hegde met the media after a scheduled meeting with the Ministry did not take place on October 22. The groups had travelled to Delhi expecting a point-by-point discussion on a 32-page proposal circulated by the government, following an earlier meeting held on October 15 in Leh. Mr. Hegde noted that a substantial gap remains between the government proposal and local aspirations, adding that the draft offered an arrangement even weaker than the earlier Hill Council structure.

Core Demands

Local leaders are pressing for a Union Territory with a legislature and constitutional safeguards under Article 371. Mr. Wangchuk questioned why border sensitivity is used to deny statehood to Ladakh when Arunachal Pradesh was successfully granted statehood in 1986 despite its own strategic location. He also raised concerns about bureaucratic control, comparing the role of the Lieutenant-Governor to a viceroy, and pointed to ongoing protests by women against the local administration's liquor policy amid concerns over drug abuse.

Context

Ladakh became a separate Union Territory in 2019 following the revocation of Article 370 in the erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir. Civil society groups like the Leh Apex Body and the Kargil Democratic Alliance have since been engaged in high-level talks with the Centre to secure greater democratic representation and local governance rights for the tribal region.