Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk begins 35-day hunger strike demanding Ladakh statehood

Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk and the Leh Apex Body on Wednesday announced a fresh 35-day hunger strike in Leh, demanding statehood for Ladakh and its inclusion under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, PTI reported.

During a press conference, Wangchuk said the Union Home Ministry had not convened any meetings with representatives from Ladakh in the last two months, even as “talks had reached a point where discussions about the main demands were going to start”.

The activist said they are being forced to intensify the movement as the Hill Council elections in Leh are due to be held soon.

He added that the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Union government had promised during the 2020 Hill Council election that Ladakh would be included under the Sixth Schedule.

The promise had figured among the top three agendas of the BJP’s election manifesto for the border region.

The Sixth Schedule under Article 244 (Administration of Scheduled Areas and Tribal Areas) of the Constitution guarantees certain protections for land and a nominal autonomy for citizens in designated tribal areas. In Ladakh, more than 97% of the population belongs to the Scheduled Tribes.

On August 5, 2019, the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Union government rescinded the special status of Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 of the Constitution and bifurcated the...

Read more