“We will continue movement for Ladakh till demands are met”: Sonam Wangchuk, as BJP goes back on Sixth Schedule promise

In March 2024, climate activist Sonam Wangchuk made headlines in Leh, as he led a 21-day fast in sub-zero temperatures seeking autonomy for Ladakh.

In light of the Lok Sabha elections, Wangchuk called off his sit-in on May 10 after breaking his fast on March 26. Wangchuk claims the campaign is far from ended, despite the government rejecting the demonstrators’ demands for Ladakh’s independence and inclusion in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.

“The Sixth Schedule is required to protect the mountains, glaciers and ecology. Though it is required in the whole country, mountains are ultra-sensitive. The use and throw philosophy of the present times, whether it is a plate, river, or glacier… we don’t want it for Ladakh or the nation,” he said.

Thousands joined the Ramon Magsaysay Award winner whose life inspired actor Aamir Khan’s character Rancho in Bollywood blockbuster ‘3 Idiots’. “On one hand, land is going to corporations and on the other hand, China is capturing our land, thousands of square kilometres of land. People of the country need to understand our pain,” Wangchuk told PTI.

According to Wangchuk, residents of the environmentally delicate Himalayan region are worried that corporations and foreigners may appropriate their properties and disregard the environment if there are no protections.

“These glaciers are the source of water. This is Dev Bhoomi, you cannot pollute it,” he added. Concerns over protecting the delicate ecosystem of Ladakh and the surrounding surroundings also existed at the same time. Said Wangchuk.

Provisions about the management of tribal territories by autonomous district councils (ADCs) in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram are contained in the Sixth Schedule. The ADCs have the authority to enact laws about land, forests, water, agriculture, and other topics and are allowed autonomy in legislative, judicial, and administrative domains.

“Hundreds of square kilometres of pastures — I am talking about an area as big as Delhi — is being given to Solar Energy Corporation of India without discussing with the people,” he claimed.

The climate activist further added that by adding Ladakh to the Sixth Schedule, corporations would be forced to consult the locals before making any changes to the mountains, thus halting unchecked development.

Asked how he feels after his fast, Wangchuk said, “Better than before. Fasting never hurts.”

Wangchuk was one among those who encouraged Ladakh to become a Union territory following the revocation of Article 370 in 2019. But today, his opinion has evolved. “We supported the abrogation of Article 370 because Ladakh was reduced to being a district of Jammu and Kashmir.

“Ladakh wanted to be a state or Union territory, which could not happen due to Article 370 as the Union government could not do that. So people thought Ladakh would have its own existence now and it was welcomed,” he said.

According to him, the BJP has also pledged protections under the Sixth Schedule in the polls for the 2020 Hill Development Council and the 2019 Lok Sabha. “First they went cold on the issue, then they went back on their word, so we had to… (launch) an agitation,” he said. After almost 10 meetings, the government said “We can’t give anything”, he claimed.

The activist used the 20,000-acre, 10-gigawatt solar power plant that is slated for Changthang’s Pang region as an example. According to him, the ground set aside for the project is pasture where the villagers graze their Pashmina goats, which are known for producing the most costly wool on the planet. A ‘Pashmina March’ that was announced during the recent protests was later called off.

Wangchuk added that the march was cancelled because they did not want there to be any altercations with the police and felt that the administration’s limitations against the march proved their argument.

Suggesting that the Union government is probably under “pressure” from corporate lobbies, he said, “We felt we also need to build pressure so that there is a balance. If a deal has been struck, only a change of government can change things.”

“Whether the government changes or the government changes its thoughts, we will continue with our movement so that the deal is cancelled,” he said. Wangchuk believes that the desires of the Ladakhis would be met by a new administration.

“If a Congress government comes, we have a lot of hope. If the BJP does not change its stand, we will hope that those who are in favour of protecting Ladakh come to power,” he said. Ladakh goes to polls in the fifth round of seven-phase Lok Sabha elections on May 20.

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