‘No draft, no assurance’: Sonam Wangchuk sets Sept 19 deadline for fresh Ladakh protest
Wangchuk said that if no assurance is received in the next seven days, the groups will go ahead with a six-day padyatra (foot march) from September 19 to 24.
- Sep 13, 2026,
- Updated Sep 13, 2026 1:57 PM IST
Climate activist and educator Sonam Wangchuk has warned of a fresh agitation in Ladakh from September 19 if the Centre does not give a clear assurance within a week on the region’s key demands, including statehood and constitutional safeguards.
The warning came after a September 9 meeting in New Delhi between Ladakh groups — the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) — and a Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) sub-committee. Wangchuk, a key LAB member, said the talks were “entirely unproductive” and yielded no consensus.
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“No draft prepared by MHA to discuss, no response on the list of non-negotiables Ladakh had sent a month ago, not even an assurance of not doing any major irreversible restructuring… before a legitimate democratic Assembly is in place,” Wangchuk said in a post on X (formally twitter).
He later told reporters, “We had thought that we wouldn't need to carry out a protest or foot march. But we have not been even given an assurance.”
Six-day padyatra on the cards
Wangchuk said that if no assurance is received in the next seven days, the groups will go ahead with a six-day padyatra (foot march) from September 19 to 24. “If we don’t get any assurance in the next one week, we will be compelled to step up our agitation in Ladakh. The padyatra will begin from September 19 till September 24 if the government does not give us a concrete proposal,” he said.
He added that the march could be converted into a memorial walk to honour those who died in last year’s protests if an assurance is secured. “We are only honouring the memory of those who lost their lives in last year’s violence,” Wangchuk said, referring to the four deaths during the 2025 hunger strike for statehood and Sixth Schedule protections.
What are the core demands?
Ladakh groups are demanding full statehood with a legislature and inclusion under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution to protect land, culture, jobs and local governance. They have also warned against any “irreversible changes” to administrative or land-transfer policies before an elected UT-level body is established.
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The next round of talks is likely to be held in Kargil in the first week of October, Wangchuk said, but stressed that the one-week deadline for assurances remains. “If the MHA does not respond within a week, we will restart our protests and, as planned, commemorate September as the ‘month of sacrifice’,” he said.
Climate activist and educator Sonam Wangchuk has warned of a fresh agitation in Ladakh from September 19 if the Centre does not give a clear assurance within a week on the region’s key demands, including statehood and constitutional safeguards.
The warning came after a September 9 meeting in New Delhi between Ladakh groups — the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) — and a Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) sub-committee. Wangchuk, a key LAB member, said the talks were “entirely unproductive” and yielded no consensus.
ALSO READ: Sonam Wangchuk wanted to break his fast with Rahul Gandhi. But got no 'positive response'
“No draft prepared by MHA to discuss, no response on the list of non-negotiables Ladakh had sent a month ago, not even an assurance of not doing any major irreversible restructuring… before a legitimate democratic Assembly is in place,” Wangchuk said in a post on X (formally twitter).
He later told reporters, “We had thought that we wouldn't need to carry out a protest or foot march. But we have not been even given an assurance.”
Six-day padyatra on the cards
Wangchuk said that if no assurance is received in the next seven days, the groups will go ahead with a six-day padyatra (foot march) from September 19 to 24. “If we don’t get any assurance in the next one week, we will be compelled to step up our agitation in Ladakh. The padyatra will begin from September 19 till September 24 if the government does not give us a concrete proposal,” he said.
He added that the march could be converted into a memorial walk to honour those who died in last year’s protests if an assurance is secured. “We are only honouring the memory of those who lost their lives in last year’s violence,” Wangchuk said, referring to the four deaths during the 2025 hunger strike for statehood and Sixth Schedule protections.
What are the core demands?
Ladakh groups are demanding full statehood with a legislature and inclusion under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution to protect land, culture, jobs and local governance. They have also warned against any “irreversible changes” to administrative or land-transfer policies before an elected UT-level body is established.
DO CHECKOUT: CJP protest assault case: Court sends influencer Swatantra Bhardwaj to 1-day police custody
The next round of talks is likely to be held in Kargil in the first week of October, Wangchuk said, but stressed that the one-week deadline for assurances remains. “If the MHA does not respond within a week, we will restart our protests and, as planned, commemorate September as the ‘month of sacrifice’,” he said.