Leh:

With the Ladakh administration imposing prohibitory orders banning rallies on Sunday and a 24-hour reduction in internet speed, the Leh-based Apex Body said it has no intention of violating laws and hoped it will be allowed to carry out its proposed ‘border march’.

The Apex Body, along with the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), is spearheading the agitation to demand statehood for Ladakh and its inclusion in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.

The Apex Body announced the ‘border (Pashmina) march’ to Changthang to highlight the condition of grazers, who are allegedly losing prime pasture land to huge industrial plants to the south and Chinese encroachments to the north.

In an apparent move aimed at countering the march, the District Magistrate (DM) of Leh Santosh Sukhadeve on Friday ordered the imposition of CrPC section 144 on April 7 and directed that no procession, rally or march should be taken without his prior approval.

He said the Leh senior superintendent of police has reported that there were reliable inputs indicating a possible breach of peace and public tranquillity in the district.

“No one shall use the vehicle-mounted or other loudspeakers without prior approval from the competent authority. No public gathering without prior approval of the competent authority shall be allowed. No one shall make any statements which have the potential to disturb communal harmony and public tranquillity and which may lead to law-and-order problems in the district,” the DM’s order said.

“All persons shall ensure that they follow the Model Code of Conduct and that all the activities are according to the law,” it added.

In a separate order, Additional Director General of Police of Ladakh S D Singh Jamwal ordered the scaling down of internet speed and mobile data services of 3G, 4G and 5G connections and public 5G Wi-Fi facilities to 2G within a 10-kilometre radius of Leh city from 6 pm on April 6 for 24 hours.

The DM of Leh, in another order, prohibited the posting or sharing such messages that have the potential to disturb communal harmony, peace and tranquillity and may lead to a law-and-order situation in the district.

“It shall be the responsibility of the admins of WhatsApp groups or social media platforms to monitor and filter such content immediately,” the order read.

The Leh Apex Body (LAB) termed the restrictions ahead of its proposed border march an “overreaction” by the administration and said it has no intention of violating the law.

“We have been holding a chain hunger strike for the past 31 days and we feel such a reaction is the result of some misunderstanding,” climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, flanked by LAB leader Chering Dorjay, told reporters here.

Wangchuk, who held a hunger strike for 21 days till March 26, said they strongly believe in peace and peaceful ways to highlight their demands, including those connected with the prevailing condition of the Pashmina grazers.

“If they stop us from marching ahead, it shows the government has something to hide and they do not want the real picture to reach the outside world… we are hopeful that the administration will allow our peaceful march if they have nothing to hide,” he said.

Wangchuk added that a meeting of stakeholders will be held to decide the future course of action within the next couple of days.

Dorjay said they will go ahead with the march and it will be peaceful.

Wangchuk also alleged that the police administration was calling volunteers to the local police stations and threatening them.

“Our request is not to spread unrest in the name of peace. This is a very sensitive region and we always cared for the country,” he added. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

The Indian Army has established the world’s first mobile tower and base transceiver station (BTS) on the Siachen Glacier, the highest battlefield on Earth, with the help of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL). The tower was inaugurated on October 6 and will provide mobile communication services to soldiers at an altitude of over 15,500 feet.

A base transceiver station is a radio transceiver that connects mobile devices to a cellular network. It sends and receives radio signals to mobile devices and converts them to digital signals that are then routed to other devices in the network or to the Internet.

“Siachen Warriors, in collaboration with BSNL, established the first ever BSNL BTS at forward posts of the highest battlefield on October 6 to extend mobile communication for the soldiers deployed at more than 15,500 feet,” the Fire and Fury Corps of the Indian Army posted on X (formerly Twitter).

#IndianArmy#Siachen Warriors in collaboration with BSNL established first ever BSNL BTS at forward posts of the highest battlefield on 06 October to extend mobile communication for the soldiers deployed at more than 15,500 feet#SiachenWarriors@NorthernComd_IA@lg_ladakh… pic.twitter.com/54D8HrXWQe

— @firefurycorps_IA (@firefurycorps) October 12, 2023

Meanwhile, the District Magistrate of Leh, Santosh Sukhadeve, has thanked the Indian Army for their quick response in erecting a fence and clearing an area of over 175 mines.

“On behalf of Phobrang, Yourgo, and Lukung villagers, we thank the Fire and Fury Corps for their swift action in fencing and clearing the area by successfully destroying over 175 mines,” he posted on X.

On behalf of Phobrang, Yourgo, and Lukung villagers, we thank the Fire and Fury Corps @firefurycorps@adgpi for their swift action in fencing and clearing the area by successfully destroying over 175 mines.@lg_ladakh@LAHDC_LEHpic.twitter.com/UtFyV2YpB1

— Santosh Sukhadeve (@santoshsukhdeve) October 12, 2023

Siachen Glacier is known as the highest-altitude battle site in the world and is situated near the Indo-Pak Line of Control. It is the largest glacier in India and the second-largest in the world. It is the highest battleground on earth.

The establishment of a mobile tower on the Siachen Glacier is a significant achievement, given the harsh conditions and the ongoing conflict in the region. The tower will provide soldiers with a much-needed lifeline to their families and loved ones, and it will also improve their ability to communicate with each other and with their commanders.

(With inputs from agencies)