Sonam Wangchuk plans a 20-km march in Ladakh on September 23.
A commemoration will mark one year since four protesters were killed.
Ladakh leaders seek statehood, Sixth Schedule safeguards and greater compensation.
Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk will march 20 km on September 23 to renew the push for statehood and constitutional protections demands as the talks enters another year without an agreement with the Centre.
His office said a commemoration would take place the following day for the four people killed during protests on September 24 last year. Ladakh leaders have also called for greater compensation for their families and the withdrawal of cases connected to the protests, Hindustan Times reported.
Talks With Centre Yield No Breakthrough
The march follows another inconclusive meeting between Ladakh representatives and Union Home Ministry officials in Delhi. Wangchuk and other leaders had threatened protests from September 19 to 24 but called them off because of the weather.
The Ladakh administration has announced ₹15 lakh for each bereaved family and ₹3 lakh for each person injured. Wangchuk said the compensation fell short of what the families deserved. “Looking at this compensation, I do not feel happy. Rather, my head is down with shame,” he said last week.
Wangchuk’s Detention
Wangchuk was detained under the National Security Act on September 26, two days after the protests turned violent. He was accused of inciting violence, including through references to Arab Spring-style protests.
The government revoked his detention in March, citing the need for “constructive and meaningful dialogue with all stakeholders”. His release came shortly before the Supreme Court was due to hear a petition challenging his detention. The Central Bureau of Investigation had also begun a preliminary inquiry into an institute he founded.
Ladakh’s Demands
Ladakh was made a Union territory without a legislature in August 2019, following the abrogation of Article 370. Its leaders have since sought statehood and protection under the Constitution’s Sixth Schedule for the region’s tribal character.
The Union Home Ministry set up a committee in 2023 to examine protections for Ladakh’s culture, language and strategic interests. Despite four rounds of talks, regional leaders said on September 10 that they had yet to receive a draft proposal on constitutional safeguards or elected governance.
Separately, Lieutenant-Governor VK Saxena approved a notification to create Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils across all seven districts.
