Ladakh leaders to meet Home Ministry officials on May 22, Sonam Wangchuk part of delegation

| Photo Credit: Shashi Shekhar Kashyap

A civil society delegation from Ladakh, including climate activist Sonam Wangchuk who was released from detention under the National Security Act (NSA) on March 14, is all set to meet Union Home Ministry officials on Friday (May 22, 2026).This is the first such meeting of members of the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), the two bodies representing Leh and Kargil districts respectively, since February 4 when a high-powered committee (HPC) meeting led by Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai was held in New Delhi. The meeting had remained inconclusive.On Friday (May 22), a sub-committee comprising Ministry officials will meet the delegation. This will be the first time that Mr. Wangchuk will be attending the meeting with Ministry officials.Recent inducteeThe delegations that had previously met did not include his name as he was recently inducted in the LAB.The KDA and LAB have been demanding constitutional safeguards such as Statehood and inclusion of Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution thus giving it tribal status.Ladakh, which was earlier a part of Jammu and Kashmir, became a Union Territory in 2019 following the reading down of Article 370 of the Constitution.Cherring Dorjay Lakruk, co-convenor of the LAB said they will stick to their demands that they have been raising since 2020, which include Statehood for Ladakh.After the violence on September 24, 2025 in Leh city when four people, including a Kargil war veteran, were killed in police firing, the talks have hit a stalemate. Ministry officials have so far only offered safeguards available under Article 371 of the Constitution and insisted on strengthening the hill councils. Article 371 deals with “Temporary, Transitional and Special Provisions”, and exists in 12 States.On April 26, Ladakh Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena approved the notification of five new districts — Nubra, Sham, Changthang, Zanskar and Drass — that were announced by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in August 2024. Published - May 21, 2026 09:43 pm IST