New Delhi: In a significant step toward easing tensions, leaders from Ladakh—where four people were killed in police firing during recent pro-statehood protests—held sub-committee-level talks with representatives of the Union Home Ministry on Wednesday.
During the meeting, the Ladakh delegation pressed for the immediate release of all detained leaders, including climate activist Sonam Wangchuck, who has emerged as the prominent face of the ongoing agitation.
The Leh Apex Body (LAB) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) also demanded adequate compensation for the families of those killed in the police firing. Talks between the Centre and the two Ladakh groups had collapsed after the September 24 violence in Leh, which left four dead and several injured. Both organisations had skipped the Home Ministry’s high-powered committee (HPC) meeting scheduled for October 6.
The latest meeting comes after a renewed invitation from the Centre, originally issued on September 20. The previous round of discussions between the two sides had taken place in May.
Ladakh MP Mohmad Haneefa, who attended Wednesday’s meeting, said the leaders came “with an open mind” to seek progress on their statehood demand.
“This was our first meeting, and we didn’t expect major outcomes. However, we strongly raised the issue of releasing all those detained after September 24, including Sonam Wangchuck,” he told reporters.
Wangchuck is currently lodged in Jodhpur jail under the National Security Act (NSA), which allows preventive detention of individuals for up to 12 months if deemed a threat to national security or public order.
Sajjad Kargili of the Kargil Democratic Alliance said the delegation sought the immediate release of all detainees and compensation for victims’ families. “We are hopeful the government will respond positively to our demands,” he said.
On October 17, the Home Ministry announced a judicial inquiry commission headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice B.S. Chauhan to probe the September 24 clashes in Leh. According to the ministry’s notification, the commission will investigate the “circumstances leading to the serious law and order situation, the police action, and the resultant deaths of four people.”
Retired district and sessions judge Mohan Singh Parihar will serve as judicial secretary, while IAS officer Tushar Anand will act as administrative secretary.
The violent clashes on September 24, between security forces and protesters demanding statehood and Sixth Schedule status for Ladakh, left four civilians dead and around 90 injured—marking one of the most serious escalations since the movement began.
The appointment of a retired Supreme Court judge fulfills a key demand by local groups for a high-level, impartial investigation and is viewed as a move to reopen dialogue between the Centre and Ladakh’s representative bodies—LAB and KDA—which had suspended talks after the violence.
At the heart of their agenda are demands for constitutional safeguards and greater political autonomy for Ladakh, which was carved out as a Union territory in 2019. These include:
Full statehood with a legislative assembly,
Autonomous District Councils to protect Ladakh’s culture, land, and ecology,
Two Lok Sabha seats for better representation,
A local recruitment body to address unemployment, and
Job reservations for Ladakh residents.
The meeting marks the first attempt by both sides to revive engagement after weeks of unrest and is being seen as a cautious but constructive step toward resolving Ladakh’s growing political discontent.
