Delhi Police detain Sonam Wangchuk, climate march at Singhu border

Sonam Wangchuk and his climate march to the Raj Ghat carefully avoided Jammu and Kashmir during the march. They also decided against marching through the other poll-bound state Haryana and instead took the bus to reach Delhi.

In video messages he appealed that no political slogan be raised and responding to questions about who was funding the march, Wangchuk shared proof of receipts for donations received from villages in Ladakh.

The march, which started from Leh on 1 September, was to culminate at Raj Ghat on 2 October, Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary with prayers. Its twin purpose was to remind the union government and the BJP about their unfulfilled promises about extending the 6^th Schedule of the Constitution, meant for tribal regions, to Ladakh and to highlight the ecological and environmental concerns in Ladakh.

His attempts to keep the march low-key, subdued and non-controversial, however, was foiled late last evening when batteries of Delhi Police, waiting “I am being DETAINED... along with 150 padyatris at Delhi Border, by hundreds of policemen, some say 1,000. Many elderly men & women in their 80s and a few dozen army veterans... Our fate is unknown. We were on a most peaceful march to Bapu’s Samadhi... in the largest democracy in the world, the mother of democracy... Hai Ram!”, he posted on X.for them at the Singhu border, detained them. 

“I am being DETAINED... along with 150 padyatris at Delhi Border, by hundreds of policemen, some say 1,000. Many elderly men & women in their 80s and a few dozen army veterans... Our fate is unknown. We were on a most peaceful march to Bapu’s Samadhi... in the largest democracy in the world, the mother of democracy... Hai Ram!”, he posted on X.

Political activist from Kargil, Sajjad Kargili, who was leading a separate group of 200 volunteers from the region on vehicles to join the prayers at Raj Ghat, said, “It is deeply unfortunate that we have been denied the right to hold a peaceful walk in the capital and stopped at the border. The authorities must not push people to the wall by denying them their fundamental right to protest, especially after snatching away so much from the people of Ladakh- our employment opportunities, land rights, representation, and more. We have been deceived by the government and this marks yet another betrayal following the events of 5 August 2019.”

Wangchuk had tried his best to differentiate between the political demands concerning rights and the non-political nature of the march. The march had received support and help from workers and supporters of various political parties, including the BJP, on the way.

However, the people of Ladakh wanted to keep political parties away from the peaceful march and appeal to reason. “Reminding the government about unfulfilled promises is not unpatriotic but on the contrary it is the citizens’ duty,” he had said in a statement.

Kargili had been more specific last month when he said, “Sadly it seems that the Govt is only serious about Ladakh because of its strategic location not serious and concerned about people of Ladakh and their grievances. We demand an end to the disenfranchisement of our people. Today, when J&K is witnessing assembly elections Ladakh has been deprived from this democratic process which is unacceptable."

He went on to add, “We hope that the Government of India will heed the voices of the people of Ladakh and address the four key demands: Statehood, Sixth Schedule, the establishment of a Public Service Commission, and ensuring employment opportunities and separate representation for both the Kargil and Leh regions in Parliament.”