A protest planned for Monday (March 16, 2026) demanding constitutional safeguards for Ladakh will not be called off even after the release of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk from detention, civil society groups in the Union Territory, who are also engaged in dialogue with the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, said on Saturday (March 14, 2026).
The Leh Apex Body (LAB) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), the two groups representing the Leh and Kargil districts of Ladakh, had announced the protest on March 10 to draw the Centre's attention towards their demands – which include Statehood, inclusion under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution (tribal status), a Member of Parliament each for Leh and Kargil, and filling of existing government vacancies. They said the meetings of the high-powered committee (HPC) had not led to any outcome yet.
Also read: Sonam Wangchuk | Ladakh’s engineer of change
Cherring Dorjay Lakruk, co-convenor of the LAB and the president of the influential Ladakh Buddhist Association, told The Hindu that the release of Mr. Wangchuk was one of several issues being pursued and the protest will go on as planned. “Sonam Wangchuk’s release is one of the several issues we have been pursuing. Our demands for constitutional safeguards and development for the region are yet to be fulfilled. The protest will go on as planned; there are two other activists who remain in jail (since September 2025),” he said.
