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.)

Srinagar:

Two days ahead of the planned border march announced by climate activist and education reformer Sonam Wangchuk to “highlight the ground realities in Ladakh”, including the alleged encroachment by China, the Union territory’s administration has issued prohibitory orders in Leh district and also announced that internet speeds will be reduced.

Thousands were expected to join the march, which is part of the agitation for statehood, to the Line of Actual Control on Sunday. The call for the ‘Pashmina March’, on the lines of Mahatma Gandhi’s Dandi March, was given by Mr Wangchuk on March 27, a day after he had called off his 21-day hunger strike for statehood for Ladakh and the safeguarding of rights of its majority tribal population under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.

The innovator, who is spearheading the protests and is on a three-day fast again, hit out at the administration over alleged steps to scuttle the march and said the administration’s peace initiatives now sound “dangerous”.

‘Misuse Of Mobile Data’

The administration issued two separate orders on Friday. An order issued by the Additional Director General of Police, Ladakh, cited inputs from the police and intelligence agencies and said “there is every apprehension about misuse of mobile data and public WiFi facilities by anti-social elements and miscreants to incite and provoke general public through various means of social media”

The order said “it is absolutely necessary to reduce” mobile data services up to 2G, “thereby suspending the mobile data of 3G, 4G, 5G & Public Wi-fi facilities 5G temporarily”. It stated that the order would apply in Leh city and a radius of 10 km around it from 6 pm on Saturday to 6 pm on Sunday.

Another notice was issued by the District Magistrate of Leh, imposing prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC).

According to the order, restrictions are imposed on, among others, any procession, rally or march, public gatherings and the use of loudspeakers mounted on a vehicle without permission.

Earlier on Friday, Mr Wangchuk claimed that despite a peaceful march being planned, the administration was taking steps to intimidate people taking part in the agitation and pressure them to sign bonds. He also claimed that the administration was getting directions from New Delhi since Ladakh is a Union territory.

PEACEFUL LADAKH IS VERY CONFUSED!
After 31 days of extremely peaceful prayers & fasts…
Suddenly peace initiatives of the administration sounds more dangerous than anything !

PEACE AT ANY COST !!?#SaveLadakh#SAVEHIMALAYAS#SaveGlaciers#6thSchedule#SupportSonamWangchukpic.twitter.com/ZRbPZ3V8Kv

— Sonam Wangchuk (@Wangchuk66) April 5, 2024

In a video posted on X, he said in Hindi, “Maybe the administration has been asked to maintain peace at any cost. Fasts have been on for 31 days and no incidents have happened. And yet, people are being taken to police stations and being given warnings of action if there is a breach of peace. I fear that this could actually lead to a breach of peace. I think there’s some misunderstanding, so I won’t say much right now.”

‘Will Go With Shepherds’

The activist had announced that thousands of people would join shepherds and march to the border area in the eastern region of the Union territory. He has claimed that over 4,000 square km of land has been grabbed by China.

“Like Mahatma Gandhi carried out the Dandi March, we are going for a march to Changthang. We will go with shepherds and they will show us up to what point our grazing land was and where it stands today” he had said.

Mr Wangchuk also asked the administration to keep prisons ready as a jail bharo andolan (movement for voluntarily courting arrest) would be launched after the march.

“If the need arises, we will be starting a non-cooperation movement in Ladakh in the coming weeks and months. The administration here will be paralysed,” he said.

Demands

Ladakh was carved out as a separate Union territory after the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir state was bifurcated and stripped of its statehood and special status under Article 370 of the Constitution in August 2019.

Within a year, Ladakhis felt a political vacuum. Massive protests and hunger strikes began taking place earlier this year after leaders of Buddhist-dominated Leh and Muslim-dominated Kargil joined hands under the banners of the Apex Body of Leh and the Kargil Democratic Alliance to demand statehood for Ladakh and its inclusion in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution

While the Centre constituted a high-level committee to look into the demands of the people of Ladakh, a series of meetings with representatives of the protesters failed to find a resolution. On March 4, leaders from Ladakh met Home Minister Amit Shah and said he had refused to accept their demands. Mr Wangchuk began his 21-day fast in Leh two days later.

Leh:

Actor Prakash Raj on Tuesday visited climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, who was on hunger strike for nearly three weeks here to demand statehood for Ladakh and its inclusion in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.

Raj, a vocal critic of the ruling BJP, extended his support to the Wangchuk-led protest and said when the governments do not keep their promises, the people have no option but to unite and raise their voice in accordance with their constitutional rights.

“It’s my birthday today .. and I’m celebrating by showing solidarity with @Wangchuk66 and the people of Ladakh who are fighting for us .. our country .. our environment and our future…let’s stand by them,” he wrote on X.

Its my birthday today .. and i’m celebrating by showing solidarity with ⁦@Wangchuk66⁩ and the people of ladakh who are fighting for us .. our country .. our environment and our future . let’s stand by them #justaskingpic.twitter.com/kUUdRakYrD

— Prakash Raj (@prakashraaj) March 26, 2024

Talking to reporters after meeting Wangchuk at the protest site, Raj said “we have heard from the people and the scientists that they have been promised (sixth schedule by BJP) and when we remind them (of their promise) they are seeing them as criminals”.

“They (politicians) are making big promises and generating false hopes at election times but later when they take our votes, they don’t look back for next five years. They have nothing to do with us, we are fools to trust their words,” Raj said.

He said the only way is to unite and raise the voice to seek answers from the government and its promises because that is the right of the public.

“If they have promised it in the manifesto and took votes but later betrayed, where will we go? we have to fight (for our rights),” Raj said. 

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

Srinagar:

As his hunger strike to press for statehood for Ladakh and the protection of the fragile Himalayan ecology entered its 21st day on Tuesday, noted climate activist and education reformer Sonam Wangchuk has urged the Union government to exhibit statesmanship and meet the people’s demands. 

In a video posted on X, a smiling Mr Wangchuk said he is surviving on water and salt and 350 people have joined him in the fast despite temperatures dropping to -10 degrees Celsius. 

Pointing to a frozen glass of water to highlight the conditions amid which the protest is being held outdoors, Mr Wangchuk said, “We are trying to remind and awaken the consciousness of our Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi and Home Minister Mr Amit Shah to safeguard the fragile ecosystem of the Himalayan mountains in Ladakh and the unique indigenous tribal cultures that thrive here.”

“We do not want to think of PM Modi and Amit Shah ji as just politicians, we would rather like to think of them as statesmen, but for that they will have to show some character and farsightedness,” he added.

Giving a few definitions of what a statesman is, the education reformer went on to urge people to cast their ballot “very carefully” in the upcoming elections “in the interest of the nation”. The Union Territory, which has one Lok Sabha seat, will vote on May 20.

Mr Wangchuk began his hunger strike on March 6, after talks between the Union government and representatives of Ladakh failed. 

Demands

The region, consisting of the Leh and Kargil districts, was carved out as a separate Union Territory after the bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir and the scrapping of Article 370, which gave it special status, in August 2019. Within a year, Ladakhis felt a political vacuum in the Union Territory, which is run by a Lt Governor. 

Massive protests and hunger strikes began taking place earlier this year after leaders of Buddhist-dominated Leh and Muslim-dominated Kargil joined hands under the banners of the Apex Body of Leh and the Kargil Democratic Alliance to demand statehood and the safeguarding of rights of its majority tribal population under the sixth schedule of the Constitution

While the Centre constituted a high-level committee to look into the demands, a series of meetings with representatives of the protesters failed to find a resolution. On March 4, leaders from Ladakh met Home Minister Amit Shah and said he had refused to accept their demands. Mr Wangchuk began his fast in Leh two days later.

‘Struggle To Continue’

Kargil has also seen protests and a hunger strike, which began on Sunday, saw the participation of hundreds of people, including the Chief Executive Councillor and councillors of the Kargil Autonomous Hill Council.

“We are just asking for our rights. We will continue our united struggle for statehood and inclusion in the sixth schedule of the Constitution” said Sajjad Kargili, a prominent leader of the Kargil Democratic Alliance. 

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New Delhi:

Disillusionment and anger are palpable on the freezing streets of Ladakh capital Leh, where climate activist Sonam Wangchuk has been sitting on fast for nearly two weeks. “People are asking whether declaring Ladakh a Union Territory was a ploy to sell of our mountains to industrial lobby and mining companies,” he told NDTV.

The BJP, Mr Wangchuk said, had promised — not once but twice — that their demands will be met. “It was one of their poll promises. They promised us that they would protect the identity of Ladakh under the sixth schedule. But sadly, promises have not been kept. Ladakh has no democratic representation,” he added.

Mr Wangchuk also claimed the morale of the soldiers was at its weakest. “The morale of Ladakhi soldiers is broken because Ladakh has neither democracy (Assembly) nor reservation (for locals),” he said.

Almost five years ago, when Ladakh was declared a separate Union Territory, the people had celebrated. But now, “People in Ladakh are disillusioned and feel they have been taken for a ride. I can only say that they (the BJP) only think about elections and how many seats they can get, but forget about people,” he added.

“We want reassurance from the Centre that even though they have failed to live upto their promise up till now, they will not do so again,” he said. The people, he added, now want a multi-party legally binding agreement.

“We want to educate people in other parts of the country about how false promises were made to us. But we are not just fighting for Ladakh. It is for our nation,” he added.

People from 20 cities spread across India — including Mumbai, Pune and Hyderabad — have come out in support of Ladakh. Huge protests have been planned on March 20 and again on March 24. “We are also asking international communities to come out and support our cause,” he added.