Ladakh Apex Body’s Rift with BJP Deepens as Thupstan Chhewang and Sonam Wangchuk Demand Constitutional Safeguards
Srinagar: In a significant political development, environmentalist and innovator Sonam Wangchuk has been inducted into the Apex Body Leh (ABL) a day after Thupstan Chhewang, its chairman and the most prominent Buddhist face of the ongoing agitation in Ladakh stepped down citing “individual agendas” and “competing interests”.
The development has triggered speculation about the alleged power struggle in the Buddhist body with some political observers noting that the exit of Chhewang at a time when the Union home ministry has refused to concede any of the four demands made by the Ladakh civil society will lead to a “power vacuum”.
Describing Chhewang as a “towering and respected figure”, author and former diplomat Phunchok Stobdan said that his resignation was a “veiled warning” for the people of Ladakh and that it has left a “big question mark” on the role and functioning of the apex body.
Wangchuk
After a day of hectic political activity on July 7, the ABL said in a statement that Wangchuk has been inducted in its subcommittee as its representative for the high-powered committee (HPC) which was set up by the home ministry in 2023 to address the anger in Ladakh after its separation from J&K in 2019.
The HPC also comprises members of the home ministry and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) which represents the Muslim-majority Kargil district. In its four-point agenda, the ABL-KDA alliance has been demanding statehood, Sixth Schedule status, a dedicated public services commission and two parliamentary seats for Ladakh.
Activist Wangchuk has gone on hunger strikes twice in the past against the constitutional disempowerment of Ladakh and its demotion into a Union territory (UT) without a legislature in the aftermath of its separation from J&K in 2019.
The ABL cited Wangchuk’s “unwavering commitment” and his “dedicated efforts in voicing the aspirations” of the people of Ladakh as the reasons for his induction.
The elevation of Wangchuk, who is widely seen as a moderate face of the agitation in Ladakh, came after a meeting of the apex body on July 5 in Leh following which Chhewang, former member of parliament who resigned from the Bhartiya Janta Party in 2018 over its “false promises and empty rhetoric” parted ways from the group.
“I prefer not to be entangled in competing interests …. Since stepping away from electoral politics, I have consistently distanced myself from partisan and individual agendas,” Chhewang said in a statement announcing his resignation which sent shockwaves across the political landscape in Ladakh.
Another leader leaves
After Chhewang’s resignation, senior Congress leader Nawang Rigzin Jora had also “recused” from the HPC and the ABL subcommittee.
“The Congress party shall continue to remain part of the ABL, support all genuine efforts towards achieving our avowed objectives, including the Sixth Schedule and statehood and criticise any moves that undermine them,” Jora said.
The ABL said that its members met Chhewang at his residence in Leh on July 7 and “earnestly appealed to him to withdraw his resignation”.
“The members reaffirmed their unwavering support for his leadership and expressed deep respect for his vision and guidance,” the ABL said, adding that it “continues to regard (Chhewang) as the sole leader capable of guiding this movement to its rightful destination”.
“In response, Shri Thupstan Chhewang assured the members that he would reflect on the matter and speak about it at an appropriate time,” the statement said.
Jora however “agreed to extend his continued support and participation” in the ABL and the high powered committee, “He also reaffirmed his continuous support and respect to Shri Thupstan Chhewang’s Chairmanship/leadership of Apex Body Leh,” the ABL statement said.
Elections and BJP
In a lengthy post on Facebook, Stobdan who has warned of factional strife in Ladakh in the past wondered whether the ongoing agitation in Ladakh was being used by the ABL leaders as “convenient staging grounds for their own political ambitions”.
“Are the youth of Ladakh being emotionally exploited with lofty slogans and alarmist narratives while certain individuals quietly prepare for the coming LAHDC elections? Is the ‘movement’ truly about the environment and constitutional safeguards-or is it a smokescreen for personal electoral gain? These are not idle questions-they go to the very heart of Ladakh’s political integrity and future,” Stobdan said.
The elections for the powerful Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (Leh) are scheduled to be held in September-October with the Bhartiya Janta Party eyeing a comeback after suffering a humiliating defeat in the 2024 Lok Sabha election.
Wangchuk who received the 2018 Ramon Magsaysay Award welcomed the 15-year clause in the new domicile policy which was rolled out by the Union government for Ladakh last month, calling it a “low hanging fruit”.
“The hunger strikes, the YouTube campaigns, the emotional appeals for environmental preservation — was it all theatre? Was it meant to manipulate the youth, the media, and the sentiments of an entire region to set the stage for a political entry?” Stobdan, author of The Great Game in the Buddhist Himalayas: India and China’s Quest for Strategic Dominance, said.
Jammu-based political analyst and editor Zafar Choudhary said that the exit of Chhewang, a two-time MP, carries “immense political significance” as it comes at a time when the civil society in Ladakh has been negotiating with the Union government over the restoration of its constitutional rights.
“The lack of progress, unclear commitments from the Centre, and internal political differences may be creating pressure on regional leadership. The timing of his resignation has raised serious concerns about the state of unity among Ladakh’s leadership which appears to be under strain,” Choudhary said.
