Ladakh: Sonam Wangchuk to launch hunger strike demanding constitutional safeguards
Ladakh-based engineer and innovator Sonam Wangchuk—whose life inspired the character of Phunshuk Wangdu in the Bollywood blockbuster 3 Idiots—urged PM Narendra Modi to ensure environmental protection from unchecked industrial and commercial expansion in Ladakh. He declared a five-day hunger strike at Khardungla Pass, starting on Republic Day, to draw attention to Ladakh's demands for regulatory measures and inclusion under the Constitution's Sixth Schedule.
Why does this story matter?
Following the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir was bifurcated into two union territories—Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. Ladakh has no Legislative Assembly, and since its special status was removed, several groups are now calling for the protection of its land, employment, and cultural identity under the Sixth Schedule, which provides autonomy to communities to frame laws.
Wangchuk will fast at 18,000ft, -40 degrees Celsius
Through a video, Wangchuk, a famed innovator and recipient of the Ramon Magsaysay Award and Rolex Award, announced that he would begin his five-day hunger strike on Republic Day (January 26) at Khardungla Pass, which is located at an altitude of 18,000 feet and is freezing at -40 degrees Celsius. The drastic measure is aimed at ensuring constitutional safeguards for the ecologically fragile Ladakh.
Will meet again if I survive: Wangchuk
Two-thirds of glaciers will melt if industrial exploitation left unchecked
Wangchuk cited studies by Kashmir University and other organizations foreboding the extinction of two-thirds of the Leh-Ladakh glaciers in absence of sustainable development. He said glaciers "surrounded by highways and human activities are melting at a comparatively faster rate." The expansion of industries, tourism, and commerce in Ladakh will eventually finish the glaciers, creating severe water scarcity in India and its neighborhood, he said.
Government indicated inclusion in Sixth Schedule, but nothing happened: Wangchuk
In his 13-minute video, Wangchuk said that after the abrogation of Article 370, the government indicated that Ladakh would be brought under the Sixth Schedule. But, despite having more than 95% tribal population, Ladakh hasn't been granted the entitled autonomy. Under the Sixth Schedule, communities are allowed to form Autonomous Development Councils that can frame laws on land, public health, and agriculture, among others.
Residents demand statehood for Ladakh
The local people have been demanding statehood for Ladakh since 2019, which was also backed by the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) in a letter to the Ministry of Home Affairs. The Apex Body, comprising all political parties in Ladakh, including the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), led by revered Buddhist leader and former Lok Sabha MP Thupstan Chhewang, is also agitating for statehood.
