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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

<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

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

PTI

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

BI India Bureau

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