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<keyword id="20418008" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="climate-activist" source="keywords">Climate activist</keyword> <keyword id="19942738" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Sonam-Wangchuk" source="keywords">Sonam Wangchuk</keyword> and approximately 120 supporters were detained by <keyword id="19898134" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Delhi-Police" source="keywords">Delhi Police</keyword> at the city's borders on the night of September 30, 2023. Wangchuk, known for his environmental activism and advocacy for <keyword id="19905190" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ladakh" source="keywords">Ladakh</keyword>’s autonomy, was leading an allegedly <keyword id="22755870" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="peaceful-march" source="keywords">peaceful march</keyword>, “Delhi Chalo Padyatra,” from Leh to New Delhi. The march aimed to demand the inclusion of Ladakh under the <keyword id="20641119" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sixth-Schedule" source="keywords">Sixth Schedule</keyword> of the Indian Constitution, which provides special autonomy and governance rights to tribal areas in India. Wangchuk and his supporters were stopped before entering the national capital, sparking significant unrest among his followers and in Ladakh. <h2>Purpose of the march</h2>The Sixth Schedule currently applies to tribal areas in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram, allowing these regions to form autonomous councils with legislative, executive, and financial powers. Ladakh’s demand for this status is rooted in concerns that the Union Territory’s unique identity and ecological balance are at risk without constitutional safeguards. Wangchuk and his group had travelled for a month across various regions, gathering momentum for their cause. The march was organised by the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and the <keyword id="20653446" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kargil-Democratic-Alliance" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Kargil Democratic Alliance" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Kargil Democratic Alliance">Kargil Democratic Alliance</keyword> (KDA), groups that have been leading the agitation for Ladakh's statehood and protection of the region’s cultural identity. As the padyatrist approached Delhi, they were met with heavy police deployment at the Singhu border. Despite expectations that they were being escorted, Wangchuk revealed in a social media post that the group was, in fact, being detained. Delhi Police cited prohibitory orders banning gatherings of five or more people, and concerns about potential law and order disruptions as reasons for the detainment. The detained marchers were taken to various police stations near the border, with Wangchuk and others kept at Bawana Police Station, where Delhi Chief Minister <keyword id="19969165" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="atishi" source="keywords">Atishi</keyword> was later prevented from meeting them. Supporters of Wangchuk were also placed in other police stations, although women marchers were reportedly not detained. <h2>Backlash in Ladakh</h2>The detentions have led to a strong backlash in Ladakh, where the KDA and LAB called for a bandh (shutdown) across the Union Territory. In Leh and Kargil, shops remained closed, and protestors voiced their demands for Wangchuk’s release and for the government to recognize their call for Ladakh’s autonomy. Hajan Fathima Bano, an 87-year-old activist, expressed deep concern over the detention, stating, “They didn’t go to engage in conflict; they went to advocate for the Sixth Schedule on behalf of the people of Ladakh. We are willing to give our lives for them. They shouldn’t be held captive.” <h2>Peaceful movement and criticism of police</h2>Wangchuk has consistently emphasised that the march was non-violent and aimed at pressing the Indian government to prioritise Ladakh’s rights. The Delhi Police, meanwhile, have imposed Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (previously Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code), banning large gatherings in New Delhi, North, and Central districts, as well as areas along the border, until October 5, 2023. The heavy-handed response to the peaceful march has drawn criticism, especially in light of Wangchuk’s stature as a respected climate activist and innovator. His post on social media shortly before his detention highlighted the scale of the police presence, stating that about 1,000 personnel had been deployed to block their entry into Delhi. He expressed frustration that a peaceful march intended to draw attention to the plight of Ladakhis had been thwarted in such a manner, underscoring the irony of being detained in "the world’s largest democracy.” (With inputs from agencies)

Sonam Wangchuk’s march ends in detention of Sonam and 120 supporters, protests erupt in Ladakh

Climate activist Soman Wangchuk announced on Sunday that he will launch another 28-day fast on Independence Day if the government does not invite Ladakh authorities for talks on demands for statehood and <keyword id="22578328" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="constitutional-protection" source="keywords">constitutional protection</keyword> for the union territory. In an interview with PTI, Wangchuk said that the Apex Body, Leh (ABL), and the <keyword id="20055607" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kargil" source="keywords">Kargil</keyword> Democratic Alliance (KDA) from Ladakh submitted a memorandum of demands to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Dras on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Kargil Vijay Diwas last week. "We did not want to push the government too much during the elections; we were hopeful that the new government would take some concrete steps. If they do not heed our request, if they do not call us for talks, we will launch another round of protest from August 15," he told PTI. In March, Wangchuk went on a 21-day fast, surviving only on salt and water, to demand statehood for Ladakh and its inclusion under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution to help protect the ecologically fragile region from "greedy" industries. After the abrogation of <keyword id="19914756" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Article-370" source="keywords">Article 370</keyword>, Ladakh became a separate union territory "without legislature". The Buddhist-dominated Leh district had long demanded union territory status due to alleged neglect by the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir government. However, with the region now entirely administered by bureaucrats, many in Ladakh demand that the union territory be included in the Sixth Schedule, which provides for the formation of Autonomous District Councils (ADCs) with legislative, judicial and administrative autonomy within a state. These councils administer areas under their jurisdiction, making laws on specific matters with the governor's assent. They can establish village councils or courts for dispute resolution and manage facilities and services within their areas, including education and healthcare. They also have the authority to impose taxes and regulate certain activities. Wangchuk had previously said that statehood and constitutional protection under the Sixth Schedule would not impact defence and national security-related projects in Ladakh. Ladakh's former MP, Jamyang Tsering Namgyal of the BJP, had also demanded that the region be included in the Sixth Schedule to safeguard the land, employment and cultural identity of the local population. In 2019, Union Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda promised to do "whatever is required from a constitutional perspective to protect them". In September 2019, the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) wrote to Home Minister Amit Shah and Munda, recommending that Ladakh be declared a tribal area under the Sixth Schedule.

Will go on 28-day fast from Aug 15 if govt doesn't initiate talks on our demands: Sonam Wangchuk

<ul><li>All surveys predict a comfortable lead for the incumbent National Democratic Alliance (NDA) led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi </li><li>The average of all polls project a majority for NDA with 276 out of 543 Parliamentary seats</li><li>Opinion polls in the past have underestimated the number of seats bagged by the winner by 8%</li></ul>It's election season in India, a time when business peaks for surveyors and pollsters. While the credibility of opinion polls is often brought to question, their strike rate in predicting the winner of Parliamentary elections has been very high at 97%. However, the success rate in estimating the number of seats that the winning side may bag is as low as 62%, according to data compiled by veteran journalist Prannoy Roy and election researcher Dorab Sopariwala in their new book 'The Verdict'. And in nearly three-fourths of all elections -- Parliament and state-- the pollsters have sided with caution and underestimated the winner's final tally. For the upcoming elections in 2019, opinion polls, so far, have unanimously projected a comfortable lead for the incumbent National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to which Prime Minister Narendra Modi belongs. The alliance is likely to get more seats than any other rival, but pollsters are divided on whether it will be able to secure a majority like it did in 2014. These are early days and public mood is known to swing sharply closer to the elections. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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 To estimate what the final picture may look like on May 23, let's look at the average of all four surveys. That seems to suggest that the incumbent coalition under Narendra Modi may indeed get re-elected with a majority. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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 The rise in number of seats in favour of the NDA is in sync with the broad <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/post-pulwama-pm-narendra-modis-ratings-rise-by-7-to-52-poll/articleshow/68350217.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">consensus</a> that the Modi government benefited from the recent escalation of tensions with Pakistan. He has definitely used the spotlight on him to garner as many votes as possible by riling up nationalist sentiments and portraying himself as a strong leader who is not afraid of combat. The projected margin of seats above the half-way mark is still just four. The average under-estimation of the winning party by pollsters in Parliamentary election is about 8%, according to Roy and Sopariwala. If that were to be true in the upcoming elections, the NDA may even land up with 298 seats. Now, a number that high may trigger scepticism. While the nationalist fervour in India may help Modi, past <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/will-air-strikes-help-narendra-modi-this-is-how-wars-have-impacted-govts/articleshow/68374595.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">experience</a> shows that such conflicts with Pakistan have not led to decisive electoral gains. The BJP won only 23.75% of the votes cast after the Kargil conflict with Pakistan in 1999, whereas in 2014, when there was no semblance of a war, the party bagged 31.3% of the votes. Further, the Modi government has lost a lot of support since the sweeping win in 2014 due to a variety of reasons. A flagging <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/beyond-india-latest-gdp-data-the-real-cues-about-the-economy/articleshow/68179264.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">economy</a> and lack of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/a-hidden-jobs-survey-in-india-casts-doubt-on-data-integrity-under-narendra-modi-government/articleshow/67750383.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">jobs</a>, the government's alleged <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/108-economists-and-academics-just-asked-the-indian-government-to-stop-interfering-with-economic-data/articleshow/68420732.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">attempts</a> to dress-up economic data, ill-advised <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/indias-government-wants-you-to-believe-that-demonetisation-didnt-slow-down-the-economy/articleshow/67785050.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">demonetisation</a>, persistent <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/indias-rural-distress-just-went-from-bad-to-worse/articleshow/67431091.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">farm distress</a>, and rise in <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/violence-cost-indias-economy-9-of-its-gdp-last-year/articleshow/64635460.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">communal polarisation and violence</a> among other issues have dented the government's chances. This was clearly visible in the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/here-are-some-reasons-why-indias-ruling-party-lost-to-its-main-rival-in-three-very-important-state-elections/articleshow/67057122.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">state election results</a> that were held in the closing months of 2018. The swing in voter sentiment in a smaller region tended to be duplicated around the country, British social scientist Sir David Butler explained in the foreword to Roy and Sopariwala's book. That would explain the sharp fall in the projected number of seats to the NDA in 2019 compared to the 336 it scored in 2014. Indeed, Modi's popularity is a shadow of its past while his rivals are on an upswing but, if pollsters are to be believed, the incumbents are still comfortably ahead of the others. On the other side, hectic parleys are underway between opposition parties to eke out a <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/lok-sabha-polls-2019-will-it-be-mahagathbandhan-or-multiple-gathbandhans-of-opposition-parties/videoshow/68376009.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">winning combination</a>. In India, an election is as much a numbers game as it is about ideology. Political expediency, caste, region and religion-based affiliations can often turn out to be the deciding factors. The game is far from over. There will be more surveys and polls in the days to come and we will be watching. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/108-economists-and-academics-just-asked-the-indian-government-to-stop-interfering-with-economic-data/articleshow/68420732.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">108 economists and academics just asked the Indian government to stop interfering with economic data</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/whatsapp-new-feature-curb-fake-news-general-elections-2019/articleshow/68425830.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">New Whatsapp feature may allow you to check if images are real or fake</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/election-2019-mysore-paints-only-supplier-of-ballot-ink-in-india-has-received-330-million-order-from-election-commission/articleshow/68424147.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">This 82-year-old company will make ₹330 million from the upcoming elections by supplying ballot ink</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/voting-in-indias-2019-elections-will-run-from-april-11-to-may-19-and-the-results-will-be-out-on-may-23/articleshow/68344595.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Voting in India's 2019 elections will run from April 11 to May 19 and the results will be counted on May 23</a>

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