New Delhi: Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, known for his innovative solutions for Leh’s ecological challenges, is leading a march to Delhi, not for protest, but for a plea this time for his people living in the cold desert. His mission is to safeguard the fragile ecology of Leh and ensure its people have a voice in their future.
Wangchuk, along with over 100 supporters, embarked on a foot march from Leh to Delhi, demanding the inclusion of Ladakh in the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution. This would grant the region greater autonomy, allowing local populations to protect their land and cultural identity, a vital safeguard for Ladakh’s unique ecosystem.
To press his demands he sat on a 21-day fast in March in Leh and survived on water and salt. He along with over 100 supporters on September 1 embarked on the foot march to Delhi citing that the sole motive of his march is to call attention towards the catastrophic effects of climate change in Ladakh and the greater Himalayan region.
The march led by Wangchuk was halted by the Delhi Police at the Singhu border and he along with his supporters were detained. He believes that the current UT status, which the region after it was carved out from Jammu and Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370, with its lack of legislative power, leaves Ladakh vulnerable to exploitation and environmental degradation.
Wangchuk’s concerns stem from the alarming impact of climate change in Ladakh, a region already facing the consequences of melting glaciers and erratic weather patterns. His concerns stem from the alarming impact of climate change in Ladakh, a region already facing the consequences of melting glaciers and erratic weather patterns.
Earlier, from January 26-30, Wangchuk staged a five-day ‘climate fast’ at the Himalayan Institute of Alternative Ladakh (HIAL) campus in Leh to register his protest against the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) decision. His call for Sixth Schedule status is a desperate cry for control over their resources and the power to protect their fragile environment in the Himalayan region.
His five-day protest concluded with a public rally, which was joined by almost thousands of people, at Polo Ground in Leh on January 31.
Upset with the UT status and being ruled by a Lt governor, which brings the region into the direct control of the central government, he recalled how the people in Leh had looked for a better future after the region was separated from Jammu and Kashmir following the abrogation of Article 370. In his speech “We (Ladakhis) thought it would be better than being a part of Jammu and Kashmir, as we would have a legislature and decisions would be taken according to people’s wishes. But we have not seen anything like that happen. Now, only one man is making all the decisions for us.”
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