Sonam Wangchuck
With assurances from the Ministry of Home Affairs, Sonam Wangchuk ended her hunger strike to death. He met Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh Joint Secretary Prashant Lokhande and handed him a letter from the home ministry stating that the ministry’s high-level committee was working with Ladakh Representative Dak negotiates. The next meeting with him will be on December 3. Afterwards, Wangchuk and his supporters decided to end the hunger strike and also end Buddhism.
Sonam Wangchuck said, On the 16th day of our fast, I am happy to say that our appeal has been resolved. Now, the Joint Secretary, Home Ministry, came to Ladakh Bhawan and handed over this letter to me, in which this conversation was mentioned. Wangchuck further said that ongoing talks between the Leh apex body and the KDA and the central government will resume in December. He expressed hope that the talks between the ministry and two socio-political organizations in two districts of Ladakh – Leh Apex Body and Kargil Democratic Alliance would yield positive results.
“No need to fast again”
Wangchuck also said, “I just hope I don’t have to fast again for this reason, and the result will be good.” I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who have supported us in this endeavor. Ladakh Buddhist Association (LBA) president Charing Dorje Lakruk thanked Wangchuck and others for marching to restart stalled talks.
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Arrive in Delhi on September 30
Ladakh MP Mohammad Hanifa also expressed hope that the talks would achieve good results. He said we have to go back and protest as talks have not resumed even after the Lok Sabha elections. We are pleased that negotiations have resumed and hope that they will continue until a solution is found. Wangchuck and his supporters walked from Leh to Delhi to demand inclusion of Ladakh in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution. After a month of walking, he arrived in Delhi on September 30.
He was also detained thereafter but was released on 2 October. After that, he went on a hunger strike on October 6. He also demanded the setting up of a Public Service Commission in Ladakh and separate Lok Sabha seats for Leh and Kargil regions.
