Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk on ‘fast unto death’: Why is Ladakh protesting? Arunachal Pradesh activists back Sonam

Sonam Wangchuk has been protesting to press for his demand for constitutional safeguards for the Union Territory and protection of Ladakh from industrial and mining lobbies.

Sonam Wangchuk's protest had kicked off on March 6 from Leh, Ladakh. (Image: X)

India News Desk, March 19, 2024  :  A feeling of deception and anger are palpable on the chilly streets of Ladakh’s capital, Leh, where climate activist Sonam Wangchuk has been on a hunger strike for two weeks now.

As his ‘fast unto death’ protest entered its 14th day, Wangchuk continued to press for his demand for constitutional safeguards for the Union Territory of Ladakh and protection of ecologically fragile Ladakh’s ecosystem from industrial and mining lobbies.

Wangchuk is accompanied by scores of locals who want to remind “the Indian Government of their promises to safeguard Ladakh’s environment and its tribal indigenous culture”.

BEGINNING OF DAY 13 OF MY #CLIMATEFAST
250 people slept hungy in - 12 °C to remind the Indian Government of their promises to safegurad Ladakh's environment and tribal indigenous culture.
First of all many heartfelt thanks to all who participated in yesterday's protests in… pic.twitter.com/jU1vZmbCWP

— Sonam Wangchuk (@Wangchuk66) March 18, 2024

“250 people slept hungry in -12°C to remind the Indian Government of their promises to safegurad Ladakh’s environment and its tribal indigenous culture. This Government likes to call India the ‘Mother of Democracy’. But if India denies democratic rights to people of Ladakh, then it could only be called a Stepmother of Democracy,” Wangchuk, Ladakh-based engineer and educator, wrote in his post on X on Monday, while thanking those who participated in the previous day’s protest against Ladakh’s climate crisis.

In another post today, Sonam Wangchuk said that they are planning a border march to show the ground reality. He wrote on X, “250 people slept hungy in -12°C to safegurad Ladakh’s land, environment and tribal indigenous culture. Our nomads are losing prime pasture land to huge Indian industrial plants to the south & Chinese encroachment to the north. To show the ground reality we’re planning a Border March of 10,000 Ladakhi shepherds and farmers soon.”

Wangchuk’s protest had kicked off on March 6 from Leh, Ladakh, where he addressed a gathering of hundreds of people at 3,500 metres above sea level, announcing that his protest would take place in stages of 21 days each.

What are the Ladakhi peoples’ demands?

Following the repeal of Article 370 in August 2019, and the subsequent enactment of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, Ladakh was recognised as a separate Union Territory “without legislature”. UTs like New Delhi and Pondicherry have their own Legislative Assemblies.

BEGINNING OF DAY 14 OF MY #CLIMATEFAST
250 people slept hungy in - 12 °C to safegurad Ladakh's land, environment and tribal indigenous culture
Our nomads are losing prime pasture land to huge Indian industrial plants to the south & Chinese encroachment to the north
To show the… pic.twitter.com/to4jUyaPJc

— Sonam Wangchuk (@Wangchuk66) March 19, 2024

Speaking from Leh earlier this month, he underlined two appeals in his address ahead of the protest: an appeal to all people to lead simpler lives, and a direct appeal to the government to fulfil its promise to include Ladakh in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution and give statehood for the region, Indian Express reported.

“After many meetings, the government has backtracked on its promises and is talking of a much diluted version of what is already in the Constitution for this exact situation. So what happened and why did they change their mind?,” Wangchuk said, pointing out that the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Central government had mentioned the protection of Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule in their manifestos for 2019 Lok Sabha elections and 2020 Ladakh Hill Council polls.

Nearly five years ago, when Ladakh was declared a separate Union Territory, the people celebrated. But now, “People in Ladakh are disillusioned and feel they have been taken for a ride. I can only say that they (the BJP) only think about elections and how many seats they can get, but forget about people,” Wangchuk said.

“People are asking whether declaring Ladakh a Union Territory was a ploy to sell off our mountains to industrial lobby and mining companies,” Wangchuk told NDTV.

The activist expressed environmental concerns surrounding the Himalayas and said industries have been exploiting the mountains by setting up dams and mining.

Wangchuk said his goal was to make the voices of Ladakhi people heard “so that the pressure of the industrial and mining lobbies is neutralised and the government can take a fair decision.”

He added, “The BJP had promised — not once but twice — that our demands will be met. It was one of their poll promises. They promised us that they would protect the identity of Ladakh under the sixth schedule. But sadly, promises have not been kept. Ladakh has no democratic representation.”

Wangchuk also claimed the morale of the soldiers was at its weakest. “The morale of Ladakhi soldiers is broken because Ladakh has neither democracy (Assembly) nor reservation (for locals),” he told NDTV.

People from at least 20 cities across India — including Mumbai, Pune and Hyderabad — have come out in support of Ladakh. Large-scale protests have been planned on March 20 and again on March 24.

What is the Sixth Schedule?

The Sixth Schedule under Article 244 of the Indian Constitution provides for the formation of autonomous administrative regions called Autonomous District Councils (ADCs).

ADCs are granted autonomy on legislative, judicial, and administrative matters within a state. They can have up to 30 members with a term of five years, and can make laws, rules and regulations with regard to land, forest, water, agriculture, village councils, health, sanitation, village- and town-level policing, etc.

Currently, it applies to the northeastern states of Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram (three Councils each), and Tripura (one Council).

The protest comes after the Ladakhi leadership entered into talks with Centre to discuss threadbare the demands for Ladakh’s statehood, the inclusion of the Union Territory in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution and the setting up of an exclusive public service commission for the high-altitude region. The talks, however, have remained inconclusive so far.

Arunachal Pradesh activists back Sonam

The solidarity gathering in Itanagar on Sunday in support of Sonam Wangchuk’s fight : Sourced by the Telegraph

On Sunday morning, a small group of activists, including advocates, a film-maker and environmentalists assembled at the IG Park in Itanagar, about 3,191 km away from Ladakh, in solidarity with the causes Wangchuk is espousing and trying to draw the attention of the world to with his climate fast

Umanand Jaiswal, TT, Guwahati, 19.03.24 : A group of activists from Arunachal Pradesh have expressed solidarity with Raman Magsaysay award winner and climate activist Sonam Wangchuk seeking constitutional safeguards for Ladakh and who is staging a climate fast since March 6.

On Sunday morning, a small group of activists, including advocates, a film-maker and environmentalists assembled at the IG Park in Itanagar, about 3,191 km away from Ladakh, in solidarity with the causes Wangchuk is espousing and trying to draw the attention of the world to with his climate fast which entered its thirteenth day on Monday.

Wangchuk has been demanding the Sixth Schedule and statehood for Ladakh so that the local indigenous populace can manage and safeguard their land and resources.

The Sixth Schedule provides for the protection of tribal rights. Areas under the Sixth Schedule also enjoy autonomy and can make laws and rules with regard to land and other natural resources.

Ladakh became a Union Territory in 2019 following the Centre’s repeal of Article 370 of the Constitution that gave special powers to Jammu and Kashmir.

The two-hour solidarity gathering in Itanagar was held under the initiative of Itanagar-based lawyer-activist Ebo Mili under the aegis of North East Human Rights (NEHR), formed in 2021.

The participants displayed placard that said, ‘We are with Sonam Wangchuk’; ‘Ladakh demands Sixth Schedule’; ‘We are with U, Save Ladakh’ and ‘In solidarity with the tribals of Ladakh’.

Lawyer-activist Ebo Mili told The Telegraph on Monday that their “solidarity gathering” on Sunday was organised to support “Sonam Ji’s fight to secure the future of Ladakh, to support his fight for constitutional safeguards, including 6th Schedule and statehood for Ladakh”.

He added: “Ladakh or Arunachal, we are part of the Himalayan range and we share the same kind of issues and fragile ecology, which needs to be protected. We need to stand in solidarity because the issues they (Ladakh) are facing today, we may face tomorrow. If we stand with them today, they will stand with us tomorrow.”

Mili also said they kept the gathering “restricted to 11-12 people” because they did not want “people to attend without knowing the actual cause for the gathering”.

Mili also said they will hold a “small congregation as they did on Sunday or stage a climate fast on March 24” wherever they are because of the upcoming elections in the state “in honour of Sonam ji appeal made on Monday through his post on X”.

Arunachal Pradesh will have simultaneous Assembly and Lok Sabha polls on April 19.

On Monday morning, Wangchuk uploaded a 3.52m video from the climate fast venue to remind the Centre of “the promises they have made in different election manifestos in writing to safeguard Ladakh in the Himalayas, and the fragile mountains and the indigenous tribal culture that lives here, under the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution”.

He also said finally on March 4 after “four years of dilly-dallying” they “declined to fulfil their promises” which, Wangchuk said, “was a total breach of trust” and that “if it continues it will set a very bad precedent for all elections and governments to come”.