Sonam Wangchuk says Article 371 talks for Ladakh still ‘work in progress’; backs Cockroach Janta Party

ENvironmentalist Sonam Wangchuk on sat uttered desire o'er the proposition of granting constitutional safeguards to Ladakh under Article 371, while describing the recently concluded negotiations during a high-level meeting in New Delhi as a “work in progress.”This comes a day after representatives of the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) held talks with the Union government and said that they have reached an “in-principle understanding” over enacting special constitutional safeguards in the region. “We made significant progress this evening in our talks with the Govt. MHA, Apex & KDAleaders of Ladakh had a broad consensus on restoring democracy with a tailor made legislative body,” he said on X.In an interview with news agency PTI on Saturday, Wangchuk said talks are underway to finalise and devolve the responsibilities in the region under Article 371. “This is not a time to celebrate or deplore based on what has been discussed so far. It is a work in progress. Only an understanding has been reached and it is not an accord or an agreement…We hope that there will be progress in this in the coming days,” he said.What is Article 371?Article 371 is a provision in the Constitution that grants special safeguards and autonomy to certain states and regions to protect their cultural identity, land rights, local employment and administrative systems.Sonam Wangchuk backs CJPDuring the interview, he also voiced support for the viral “Cockroach Janta Party” (CJP), adding that while he isn’t qualified to become a member of it, he identified himself with its message. “I am neither unemployed nor am I lazy. So sadly, I am not a member. But I consider myself an honorary cockroach,” he said.Cockroach Janta Party denied nod for eventKarnataka police have denied permission to a proposed event by the CJP in Karnataka, which state home minister G Parameshwara said was an independent call taken by the police.“If they have denied permission, there must be some reasons behind it,” he said on Saturday, while responding to questions from reporters that police had denied permission for the CJP convention scheduled to be held in Bengaluru on Sunday.Meanwhile, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke on Saturday alleged a sweeping crackdown, claiming that all its social-media accounts as well its website have been taken down or compromised, leaving the group without access to any of its official platforms.