Wangchuk Says Ladakh Talks Did Not Take Place

Sonam Wangchuk said a planned October 22 meeting between Ladakh representatives and the Union Home Ministry did not take place, renewing his demand for an elected legislature and constitutional safeguards for the region. Speaking at a press conference in Delhi, Wangchuk said he had travelled expecting talks after representatives of the Leh Apex Body and Kargil Democratic Alliance met Home Ministry officials in Leh on October 15. He said the groups exchanged draft proposals and compared them point by point, intending to discuss their differences at the next meeting. Wangchuk said he was later told the October 22 meeting would not be held. The accounts of the meeting’s status and the October 15 discussions were based largely on Wangchuk’s description. The reports did not include a direct Home Ministry explanation for why the October 22 talks did not proceed or whether officials considered them cancelled or postponed. Wangchuk said Ladakh representatives had sought statehood before proposing a Union Territory with an elected legislature and constitutional safeguards. He reiterated that this arrangement was the minimum acceptable outcome, saying residents needed a greater role in...