Ladakh: Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk announced on Wednesday that they will intensify the protest for Ladakh’s statehood.
They plan to hold a ‘border march’ on April 7 in the eastern part of Ladakh to highlight ground realities, including alleged encroachments by China. Wangchuk, part of a group in Leh comprising various organizations, said they are adopting a peaceful approach in their protest to protect Ladakh’s environment and the way of life of its people.
“We follow Gandhi’s way of peaceful protest. We want the government of India to keep its promises made during elections,” he said.
Wangchuk ended his 21-day hunger strike on Tuesday, which supported Ladakh becoming a state and being included in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.
“After the hunger strike, women, young people, religious leaders, and elders will take part in a chain hunger strike. On April 7, we will march to Changthang like Gandhi’s march to Dandi, to show our disagreement,” Wangchuk said.
He said their group will lead the march to show what’s really happening in Ladakh. Wangchuk said nomads are losing land to factories to the south and to China to the north. “The nomads in Changthang, known for their Pashmina wool, are being forced to sell their animals because factories took over 20,000 acres of their land. We don’t want solar energy if it harms our people’s lives and makes them leave their homes,” he said. Wangchuk claimed that their land is being taken away because there are no protections for them.
He said if the government lets them march, that’s fine, but if not, they’ll start a protest where people will go to jail and stop cooperating. Wangchuk accused the BJP of not keeping their promises to the people of Ladakh. He said they were surprised when the home ministry said no to their demands on March 4.
“We want what’s rightfully ours. Elections are coming up, and the BJP is making promises again, but who’s going to trust them this time?” he asked. He hopes the government will change its mind and give Ladakh statehood.
Wangchuk said he’s ready to go on hunger strike again if Ladakh’s demands are not met because “we’re fighting for our future and our children’s future.” He also asked where all the money the government says they’re giving to Ladakh is going and wants an investigation.
Two groups, the Apex Body and Kargil Democratic Alliance, which include different organisations, are leading the protest for Ladakh’s statehood and its inclusion in the Sixth Schedule. They’ve had five talks with the home ministry.
