Leh, Sept 10 (KNO): Renowned environmentalist and innovator Sonam Wangchuk, along with the Leh Apex Body (LAB), has launched a 35-day hunger strike in Leh, beginning today.
The protest aims to press the central government to grant Ladakh statehood and include the region under the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution, which provides for autonomy and protection of indigenous rights in certain tribal areas.
Speaking to the media, Wangchuk, as per the news agency - Kashmir News Observer (KNO), said he was forced to restart the protest due to the Centre’s continued inaction on the key demands raised by Ladakh-based groups. He said the Ministry of Home Affairs had not held any meetings with them over the last two months, despite earlier engagement on the matter.
Wangchuk said the dialogue between the people of Ladakh and the central government had come to a halt. A second meeting, expected to take place after initial discussions on the demands, was never scheduled. This, he said, indicated a lack of seriousness from the government and left the people of the region with no option but to escalate their movement.
With the Leh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) elections approaching, Wangchuk reminded the government of its earlier commitment to grant Sixth Schedule status to Ladakh. He said the upcoming elections provide a crucial window for the government to fulfil that promise. According to him, the absence of such recognition could impact not just political autonomy but also the environmental and cultural integrity of the fragile Himalayan region.
The Sixth Schedule of the Constitution allows for the creation of autonomous councils that can legislate on issues related to land, forest, customs, and local governance.
For Ladakh, inclusion in the Sixth Schedule has been a long-standing demand from various civil society groups following the region’s separation from Jammu and Kashmir and its designation as a Union Territory in 2019.
Wangchuk and LAB have called for peaceful, democratic action. They have urged the government to resume dialogue and fulfil its commitments to the region before the elections—(KNO)