Sonam Wangchuk, 150 others to start indefinite fast at Jantar Mantar

Climate activist and innovator Sonam Wangchuk has said he and other protesters from Ladakh will sit on an indefinite fast beginning today, Saturday, since they have not received any response from the government over their demand to meet the President, prime minister, or Union home minister regarding their demands for Ladakh.

A month ago, Wangchuk began leading a 'Delhi chalo' padayatra from Leh organised by the Leh Apex Body (LAB), which along with the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) has been spearheading an agitation for the last four years for statehood for the Union Territory of Ladakh, and decentralisation of power.

In 2019, Wangchuk wrote to then Union tribal affairs minister Arjun Munda asking for Scheduled Area status to Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, which provides for the formation of autonomous administrative regions called Autonomous District Councils (ADCs).

The climate activist said locals in Ladakh can best protect the ecology of Ladakh, but they have no role in decision-making. "We are under a kind of permanent governor's rule where people's representatives are not there to make decisions. This should not happen. There is no mechanism for people to participate in the decision-making process," he said.

At a press conference in Delhi on Friday, Wangchuk and his fellow activists said they had written to the offices of the President, prime minister and home minister seeking an appointment, and were assured that they would be informed about the meeting by 5.00 pm on Friday.

"We have not received any response from the government. So we will sit on an indefinite fast from tomorrow. The PM was only a few kilometres away from us today, we were told. We were hoping we would get to meet him," Wangchuk said at the press conference.

Ladakh MP Mohmad Haneefa and other members of LAB and KDA, including Sajjad Kargili, Asgar Karbalai, Tseering Punchok, and Ashraf Ali Barcha, were present on the dais.

"Officials of the home ministry assured us, they asked us to go to Rajghat and break our fast that we had started while in detention. They assured us that they would give us time to meet the leadership. But they have not said anything, so we have no option but to go on a fast," Wangchuk said.

He also said they have requested the authorities to provide them space in Jantar Mantar for holding the fast, but have not received any confirmation yet, and appealed to all political parties and organisations to provide them with a venue for the protest.

Wangchuk and 150 people from Ladakh were detained at Singhu border point near Delhi late on Monday night. They were taken to Mahatma Gandhi's memorial at Rajghat on 2 October in accordance with their wishes, and released afterwards. Advocate Prashant Bhushan argued that Wangchuk was kept in detention for almost three days by Delhi Police in an unlawful manner without producing him before a magistrate.

"I would appeal to any organisation or party, political or non-political, social or religious organisation... we will hold our fast at any appropriate site. It will be peaceful... we will follow the path of satyagraha shown by Mahatma Gandhi," Wangchuk said. "We hope we get Jantar Mantar, but if we do not get permission, we will sit wherever we are offered a place."

With PTI inputs