NEW DELHI: Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk has accused the Centre of backtracking on the understanding reached with the agitating Ladakh groups in May 2026, including on a UT-level elected body, and labelled the failure to conduct further talks in Delhi on Thursday as “yet another betrayal of trust”.Wangchuk said the representatives of Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) had come prepared for Oct 22 talks in Delhi as a follow up of the May 15 meeting in Leh, with the expectation that the MHA and Ladakh bodies’ respective drafts on contours and powers of UT-level body and district councils, would be discussed. Criticising the “cancellation” of Oct 22 meeting, Wangchuk alleged that decisions were being taken unilaterally by the Ladakh administration (LG) and powers of district councils, curtailed.The activist’s allegations came even as a major convention of the Civil Society Forum of Ladakh, held in Leh on Thursday under former MP Thupstan Chhewang and attended by eminent members of the Buddhist community accused the LAB and KDA of rejecting the draft proposal submitted by MHA containing options for negotiations, without proper examination. Chhewang attributed the cancellation of Oct 22 talks with MHA to “repeated public misinformation and disregard for earlier consensus arrived with MHA by LAB and KDA leadership”.
The forum on Thursday demanded a complete democratic reconstitution of LAB with elected representatives from all districts.A senior officer of the Ladakh administration contested that the Oct 22 talks were “cancelled”, saying that when LAB chairman spoke to the Ladakh chief secretary two days back, he was told that the dates for the meeting in New Delhi would be conveyed soon.The May 22 meeting between representatives of LAB and KDA, and the MHA sub-committee had focused on constitutional protection for Ladakh, democratic representation and the long-pending demand for statehood. However, after discussions a Union territory with a legislature and a council for each district was agreed on.On Thursday, Wangchuk acknowledged some positive developments in Ladakh, including a High Court bench and improvements related to roads and airport, but said these could not substitute for democratic rights.