Gelek Phunchok, convenor LAB, in a statement said “the LAB welcomes Sonam Wangchuk’s decision to end his fast, a step it had consistently requested in view of his deteriorating health.”

SRINAGAR: Representatives of the Leh Apex Body (LAB), who were present at Gurugram ’s Medanta Hospital when climate activist Sonam Wangchuk ended his 26-day hunger strike Thursday night, have welcomed his decision.“We had earlier urged him to end his hunger strike. We wanted to see him alive. We were deeply concerned about his deteriorating health, and we are relieved he has ended his hunger strike,” LAB co-chairman Chering Dorjay Lakrook said.He said he and his three other LAB representatives were there at Medanta when Union ministers JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh arrived and Wangchuk ended his 26-day hunger strike in their presence.Gelek Phunchok, convener of LAB, said a delegation led by Lakrook had travelled to New Delhi to meet Wangchuk but was made to wait for several days before permission to meet him was granted.Wangchuk too is a member of the LAB.Early this month, the LAB appealed to Wangchuk to end his hunger strike and return to Ladakh, saying his presence was needed as negotiations with the Centre had reached a critical stage.On May 22 this year, Wangchuk was part of the Ladakhi delegation that held talks with the MHA subcommittee over their demands for the region.However, on July 3, Wangchuk couldn’t participate in the talks held between the Ladakhi leaders and the MHA as he was on hunger strike at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi.