Within days of veteran leader Thupstan Chhewang announcing that he would lead the Leh Apex Body (LAB), the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) decided to resume the stalled dialogue by extending an invitation to the agitating groups of Ladakh for the next round of talks on October 6.
According to the invitation sent to the Ladakhi leaders, the meeting of the High-Powered Committee (HPC) on Ladakh will be held on October 6, 2025, at 11 AM at the Conference Hall, 5th Floor, Kartavya Bhawan, New Delhi.
The last meeting of the HPC with Ladakh's agitating groups was held in New Delhi on May 27, during which issues related to reservations and domicile were resolved. The upcoming talks are being convened after a gap of more than four months.
For the past four months, the agitating groups have repeatedly demanded the resumption of dialogue to address the remaining unresolved issues.
Chering Dorjay, co-chairman of LAB and former minister, told The International Business Times that a 14-member delegation—comprising seven representatives each from LAB and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA)—will attend the meeting with the MHA's HPC.
Political leaders removed from LAB
Dorjay said the Ladakhi delegation will be headed by veteran leader and two-time Member of Parliament, Thupstan Chhewang, along with other non-political members.
Just four days ago, the LAB removed political party leaders from its delegation set to negotiate with the Centre. Chhewang, who had resigned from LAB after the May talks, has now agreed to return as its head to lead the upcoming dialogue.
The previous round of talks, chaired by Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai, was held on May 27 in New Delhi, during which issues of domicile and reservations were settled.
Chhewang, a former MP from Ladakh, had earlier distanced himself from LAB, citing "partisan, individual agendas and competing interests." It was widely perceived that some political leaders had exercised undue influence over LAB, hampering meaningful negotiations for apparent political gains.
Many within LAB, particularly youth leaders, had also voiced concerns over the "politicisation" of the body, which had triggered internal conflicts in recent months.
Sonam Wangchuk excluded from delegation
Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, who has been on a hunger strike along with a group of locals since September 10, has been excluded from the delegation that will attend the October 6 talks with the HPC.
Earlier, the UT administration cancelled over 1,000 kanals of land allocated to Wangchuk's institution, HIAL, citing irregularities such as failure to complete the lease agreement, non-payment of dues, and non-establishment of any recognized university for which the land was allotted.
His ongoing hunger strike has evoked mixed reactions in Ladakh, with many veteran leaders suggesting dialogue with the government should be prioritized over confrontational agitation.
In a startling revelation, Chhewang disclosed that the Union Home Minister had set a "precondition" for resuming dialogue with Ladakhi leaders—his own re-induction into LAB.
Meanwhile, LAB has decided to drop senior political leaders, including former minister and Congress leader Nawang Rigzin Jora, from its delegation. In his place, prominent Leh-based advocate Thingles Angmo has been included in the team.
