Feared Ladakh was set to be another Manipur, but recent talks offer hope: Wangchuk

Environmentalist and education reformer Sonam Wangchuk on Saturday said he had feared Ladakh was heading towards “another Manipur” amid growing divisions and tensions in the region, but described the latest round of talks between Ladakh representatives and the Centre as a positive development that could help rebuild trust if followed by concrete action.

Speaking to PTI after Thursday's meeting between representatives of Ladakh's civil society groups and a Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) sub-committee, Wangchuk said the engagement had altered his outlook after a period of deep disappointment and concern.

“This meeting has made some difference. Otherwise, I was very disappointed,” Wangchuk said.

Referring to the atmosphere prevailing in Ladakh before the latest talks, he said social and political divisions had intensified across communities.

“Nothing was happening on the ground. People were getting divided — Leh and Kargil, Buddhists fighting Buddhists, Muslims fighting Muslims. We felt trust-building was not happening, and meaningful dialogue seemed unlikely,” he said.

“Last week was very negative. There was conflict everywhere. I thought Ladakh would become another Manipur; it was heading in that direction,” he added.

‘Both sides have taken a step’

Wangchuk said the latest interaction with the Centre had created cautious optimism, though he stressed that confidence would ultimately depend on actions taken in the coming weeks.

“Both sides have taken a step,” he said, referring to the discussions with the Home Ministry panel.

The activist noted that earlier government communications had spoken of creating an “environment of trust” and pursuing “meaningful and constructive dialogue”, but argued that developments on the ground had not matched those assurances.

He said the coming weeks would determine whether the Centre was serious about addressing concerns raised by the movement.

“Now, I would like to see in the next one or two weeks whether they correct these things or not,” he said.

Raises issue of seized phone and pending cases

Among the unresolved issues highlighted by Wangchuk was the continued seizure of his mobile phone, which he said was confiscated during protests several months ago.

“My mobile phone was taken when I was jailed. It has been more than two months since I was released, and I still do not have it back,” he said.

“Without it, I cannot book an Ola, an Uber or even a plane ticket. Digitally, I have become useless in Digital India,” he added.

Wangchuk said he had deliberately chosen not to replace the phone or recreate his digital access.

“The government has left me half free and kept the other half in jail,” he remarked, referring to the continued seizure of his phone and digital records.

The activist also raised concerns regarding the Himalayan Institute of Alternatives, Ladakh (HIAL), alleging that issues relating to the institution's land lease and FCRA (Foreign Contribution Regulation Act) licence remained unresolved.

“The land of HIAL was cancelled even though we had all the documents. Our FCRA has still not been restored,” he said, maintaining that scrutiny of the institution's accounts had revealed no wrongdoing.

‘Trust depends on action’

While acknowledging the improvement in dialogue, Wangchuk said the biggest test of trust-building would be the government's response to cases arising from protests held in September last year.

“The biggest thing is what happened on September 24. So many people were injured, some died... many were charged. Will those cases be withdrawn? Only then will there be trust,” he said.

He also called for action on issues related to compensation, pending legal cases and other grievances linked to the protest movement.

“We hope they correct all these things,” Wangchuk added.

Talks on constitutional safeguards

Wangchuk's remarks came after representatives of the Leh Apex Body and the Kargil Democratic Alliance held discussions with the MHA sub-committee on constitutional safeguards, democratic representation and governance arrangements for Ladakh.

The two influential civil society organisations have jointly campaigned for statehood, constitutional protection for land and employment, and greater democratic powers since Ladakh was carved out of the former state of Jammu and Kashmir and made a Union Territory without a legislature in 2019.

In a joint statement issued after Thursday's meeting, the groups said they had reached an “in-principle understanding” with the Government of India on restoring democratic institutions in Ladakh and extending constitutional safeguards on the lines of provisions available to states such as Nagaland, Sikkim and Mizoram under Article 371 of the Constitution.