Ladakh is raising its voice through fast unto death

Climate activist and Ramon Magsaysay Award winner Sonam Wangchuk, who is leading the demand of Ladakh residents for full statehood in their part and implementation of the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, is continuing his 21-day hunger strike and fast unto death in Ladakh which started on March 6, and today is the 18th day on March 23, 2024.

These rounds of talks with the central government lasted from 19 to 23 February 2024, then again continued till March 4, 2024 and no conclusion was reached. After that, Sonam Wangchuk is sitting on a fast by calling for a fast from Nawang Dorje Memorial on March 6.

The story began in August 2019 when the Parliament of India passed the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Act, 2019 by which Ladakh became a Union Territory on 31 October 2019. Everyone hoped that Ladakh would also be given a legislature and security under the Sixth Schedule.

In its 2019 election manifesto, the BJP had promised to give statehood to Ladakh and include it in the Sixth Schedule.

Today, through a video message, Wangchuk said I am starting my 18th day of climate fast on water and salt. The night has been very clear and so the temperature has gone down to minus 8 degrees. Everything has frozen like this and in these conditions, about 150 people with me slept in the open, to remind the Indian government of their promises to protect Ladakh and its mountains and its indigenous culture. Under the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution, which provides for autonomy and autonomous council, where the elected body of indigenous people decides how to manage these mountains, what kind of development and industries are allowed and what not. Without this, we have no rights and the bureaucracy decides what to bring. Well, in the name of development, we plunder the mountains and destroy our own habitats, glaciers, flora and fauna that exist here. While we talk of eight percent-ten percent development as the best thing for a nation, we should see that we are not the only inhabitants of this beautiful planet. We have other brothers and sisters who are wild. And let’s see what is happening to them while we talk about 8 and 10% development. We are not alone on this planet. Development cannot be so human-centric. According to WWF, 69% of the wildlife on this planet has been wiped out. In the last 50 years alone, 83% of the aquatic life has been wiped out and 30% of the forests on which we depend so much have been wiped out, and we talk of development eight percent, ten percent of them have ceased to exist, and it doesn’t just harm them, we depend on them on this planet.

It is very important to protect the environment. The government should hold meetings with people who have deep knowledge about the environment and conserve precious things on the basis of various reports.

Problems related to the Sixth Schedule:

The Sixth Schedule discriminates against non-tribal residents in many ways and also violates their fundamental rights.

The right to equality before the law (Article 14), the right against discrimination (Article 15), and the right to settle anywhere in India (Article 19) are considered a mockery of the rights guaranteed by all these articles.

The beauty of India is in every particle of every village and city here. The government and the people of Ladakh will establish proper dialogue and take welfare decisions.