PTI
New Delhi
In his first public remarks after being released from jail, activist Sonam Wangchuk on Tuesday said he wanted to see the development in a “positive light” and hoped it would lead to a “meaningful dialogue” on the demands of agitating bodies in Ladakh.
Addressing a press conference here along with his wife and HIAL co-founder Gitanjali J Angmo, Wangchuk said the protests in Ladakh have been aimed solely at initiating a constructive dialogue process.
He also said talks are a “give and take process” and both sides will have to make “certain accommodations.”
“We were sure of a victory in the court, but a win was not enough. I wanted a win-win,” he said.
He also expressed the hope that the Supreme Court would rule on the Habeas Corpus petition filed by his wife to set a precedent.
Wangchuk described the government’s move to release him as an “extending of hand to build trust and to facilitate meaningful, constructive dialogue”.
“They have offered a constructive, meaningful dialogue. This is what we have wanted, and we had to struggle so much, walk to Delhi, sit on ‘anshan’ (fast). All movements in Ladakh are for starting the dialogue process,” he said.
“Usually, you see people picking up guns and the government appealing for dialogue. Here, people are urging the government to start a dialogue,” he said.
He hoped it would not just be a dialogue, but “meaningful, effective talks, which lead us to something good”.
Talking about the incidents in Ladakh, he said many “meaningless arrests” occurred.”Even people who were going to donate blood got arrested and got an FIR. Such things have happened,” he claimed.
He said it should be examined how the violence started.
“There are also voices among people that ask — where did it start? How did this violence start? Actually, that must be examined.
“There are voices that ask how come so many people died with injuries in the chest? But I think all this could be undone. People can take back their suspicions and doubts and the government can take back their cases,” he said.
Asked about his next step, Wangchuk said he would travel to Ladakh and consult with leaders of the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), which have been spearheading the agitation over the past five years for statehood and extension of the Sixth Schedule to Ladakh.
