Prominent climate activist Sonam Wangchuk has called for a march to the China border later this month to show the loss of Indian land to Chinese encroachment in Ladakh. The announcement came on Day 14 of his 21-day ‘climate fast’ over Ladakh’s demand for statehood and inclusion in the sixth schedule.
Border March to Show Ground Reality
“Our nomads are losing prime pasture land to huge Indian industrial plants to the south & Chinese encroachment to the north,” Wangchu said in a post on X. He noted that around 10,000 Ladakhi shepherds and farmers will soon participate in a Border March to show the ground reality. “We are all here to remind the Indian government to safeguard and protect the fragile Himalayan land and restore democracy,” he remarked.
Wangchuk mentioned that nomads in Ladakh are losing land, left, right, and centre. They are losing land to China, which has captured vast chunks of Indian land in the last few years. He cited BJP MP Subramanian Swamy, who said that 4,056 sq km of Ladakhi land has been lost to China since 2020.
BEGINNING OF DAY 14 OF MY #CLIMATEFAST
— Sonam Wangchuk (@Wangchuk66) March 19, 2024
250 people slept hungy in - 12 °C to safegurad Ladakh's land, environment and tribal indigenous culture
Our nomads are losing prime pasture land to huge Indian industrial plants to the south & Chinese encroachment to the north
To show the… pic.twitter.com/to4jUyaPJc
After the Galwan Valley Clash in 2020, China is said to have encroached into the Indian territory. While the Indian government has repeatedly denied the claim amid discussions with China, several reports suggest that out of the total 65 patrolling points in Eastern Ladakh, at least 26 are not being patrolled anymore.
Wangchuk said that the march would be held either on 27 March, when his fast ends, or ten days later. He suspected that the security forces might stop the protestors tens or hundreds of kilometres before they reached the border.
“This will be proof in itself that there are a lot of things to be covered up,” he remarked, adding that if there is nothing to cover up, they will be allowed to go. He said that during the march, the nomads would show people how far they used to go grazing earlier and now where they have to stop.
Wangchuk also criticised Indian corporations setting up plants in the region. Additionally, he called out the upcoming 20,000-acre renewable energy park in Ladakh, saying that people will lose 150,000 sq km of their prime pasture lands due to the project.
Demands for Statehood, Sixth Schedule
Civil society activists seek to remind “the Indian Government of their promises to safeguard Ladakh’s environment and its tribal indigenous culture.” They have been pressing for constitutional safeguards for the Union Territory and demanding that the ecologically fragile ecosystem be protected from industrial and mining lobbies.
Wangchuk’s fast began after talks between the centre and Ladakh civil society leaders failed on 4 March. Protests have been held by the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), representing the Buddhist majority and Shia Muslim-dominated regions, respectively, in Ladakh.
They have demanded that Ladakh be given statehood and included in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution. Ladakh was turned into a Union Territory without a legislative assembly after Article 370, which afforded special status to the state of Jammu and Kashmir, was revoked.
LADAKH'S TALKS WITH CENTRE FAIL
— Sonam Wangchuk (@Wangchuk66) March 6, 2024
I started my fast of 21 days (extendable till death) today in a large gathering...
Please watch full video here:https://t.co/OLHPuP1wly
English version coming soon... #SaveLadakh #SaveHimalayas #MeltingGlaciers #ILiveSimply pic.twitter.com/bRiuwVFOiQ
The Sixth Schedule under Article 244 of the Constitution provides for the administration of certain Tribal Areas in the states of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram as autonomous entities. Including Ladakh in the schedule would give the region tribal status and provide job reservations for locals. There are also demands to give Leh and Kargil one parliamentary seat each.
Wangchuk’s protest started on 6 March in Leh, where he addressed a gathering of hundreds of people and announced the beginning of his fast. He holds that the government has backtracked on its promise.