Sonam Wangchuk warns of another 28-day fast from August 15 if...
Wangchuk went on a 21-day fast to demand statehood for Ladakh and its inclusion under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution to help protect the ecologically fragile region from "greedy" industries.
- Jul 28, 2024,
- Updated Jul 28, 2024 7:57 PM IST
Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk announced on Sunday that he will start a 28-day fast on Independence Day if the government doesn't engage Ladakh authorities in discussions about statehood and constitutional protection for the Union Territory. "We didn't want to pressure the government too much during the elections; we were hopeful the new government would take concrete steps. If they ignore our request and don't call us for talks, we'll begin another protest on August 15," Wangchuk said in an interview with PTI.
Wangchuk said the Apex Body, Leh (ABL), and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) from Ladakh handed over a memorandum of demands to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Dras for the 25th anniversary of Kargil Vijay Diwas last week.
In March this year, Wangchuk went on a 21-day fast to demand statehood for Ladakh and its inclusion under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution to help protect the ecologically fragile region from "greedy" industries.
After the scrapping of Article 370, Ladakh became a separate union territory "without legislature". The Buddhist-dominated Leh district had long demanded union territory status due to alleged neglect by the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir government. However, with the region now administered by bureaucrats, many in Ladakh demand that the union territory be included in the Sixth Schedule, which provides for the formation of Autonomous District Councils (ADCs) with legislative, judicial, and administrative autonomy within a state.
These councils administer areas under their jurisdiction, making laws on specific matters with the governor's assent. They can establish village councils or courts for dispute resolution and manage facilities and services within their areas, including education and healthcare. They also have the authority to impose taxes and regulate certain activities.
Wangchuk had previously said that statehood and constitutional protection under the Sixth Schedule would not impact defence and national security-related projects in Ladakh.
In 2019, Union Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda promised to do "whatever is required from a constitutional perspective to protect them". In September 2019, the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) wrote to Home Minister Amit Shah and Munda, recommending that Ladakh be declared a tribal area under the Sixth Schedule.
Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk announced on Sunday that he will start a 28-day fast on Independence Day if the government doesn't engage Ladakh authorities in discussions about statehood and constitutional protection for the Union Territory. "We didn't want to pressure the government too much during the elections; we were hopeful the new government would take concrete steps. If they ignore our request and don't call us for talks, we'll begin another protest on August 15," Wangchuk said in an interview with PTI.
Wangchuk said the Apex Body, Leh (ABL), and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) from Ladakh handed over a memorandum of demands to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Dras for the 25th anniversary of Kargil Vijay Diwas last week.
In March this year, Wangchuk went on a 21-day fast to demand statehood for Ladakh and its inclusion under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution to help protect the ecologically fragile region from "greedy" industries.
After the scrapping of Article 370, Ladakh became a separate union territory "without legislature". The Buddhist-dominated Leh district had long demanded union territory status due to alleged neglect by the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir government. However, with the region now administered by bureaucrats, many in Ladakh demand that the union territory be included in the Sixth Schedule, which provides for the formation of Autonomous District Councils (ADCs) with legislative, judicial, and administrative autonomy within a state.
These councils administer areas under their jurisdiction, making laws on specific matters with the governor's assent. They can establish village councils or courts for dispute resolution and manage facilities and services within their areas, including education and healthcare. They also have the authority to impose taxes and regulate certain activities.
Wangchuk had previously said that statehood and constitutional protection under the Sixth Schedule would not impact defence and national security-related projects in Ladakh.
In 2019, Union Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda promised to do "whatever is required from a constitutional perspective to protect them". In September 2019, the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) wrote to Home Minister Amit Shah and Munda, recommending that Ladakh be declared a tribal area under the Sixth Schedule.