The renowned climate activist and son of a former minister in Jammu and Kashmir Sonam Wangchuk alongwith his supporters sat on hunger strike squatting on dharna outside the Ladakh Bhawan in New Delhi after his request for allowing him to sit on peaceful protest at Jantar Mantar was turned down by the additional deputy commissioner of police, New Delhi.
Ladakh based climate activist Sonam Wangchuk who had marched to Delhi a day before second October, Gandhi Jayanti after covering 1000 kilometres with his 170 followers to pay homage attention Gandhi Samadhi and stage protest dharna at Jantar Mantar demanding inclusion of Ladakh in 6 th schedule of the constitution were arrested at Singhu border not allowing them to enter Delhi and detained at Kanjhawla and Bawana police stations where they had undergone on indefinite hunger strike. The Delhi Police Commissioner had on October 1 imposed 163 under Bhartiya Nyay Sanhita prohibiting the crowd of five or more people in New Delhi, North Delhi and Central Delhi including border areas connecting Delhi , also not allowing any protest and carrying of fire arms, sticks, swords or any objectionable materials etc.
In the latest rejection letter the additional deputy commissioner of New Delhi district Anyesh Roy has given several reasons as below and cancelled Sonam’s request for staging a protest sit in at Jantar Mantar on 5 th and 6 th October.
Speaking to media Sonam Wangchuk has expressed his serious objection to turning down of his request for peaceful protest demanding inclusion of Ladakh under the 6 th Schedule of the constitution.
Responding to the rejection letter of Delhi police not allowing him and his supporters raise their voice democratically at Jantar Mantar annoyed Wangchuk posted the rejection letter on his social media handle X and wrote under the title : ANOTHER REJECTION AND ANOTHER FRUSTRATION – Finally this morning we got this rejection letter for the officially designated place for protests. If Jantar Mantar is not allowed then please tell us which place is allowed. We want to abide by all laws and still express our grievance in a peaceful way. Why is it so difficult to follow the path of Gandhiji in his own country . There must be a way out said Sonam Wangchuk on X.
Meanwhile speaking to WION leading climate activist on indefinite hunger strike Sonam Wangchuk said that Ladakh needs to be included in the sixth schedule of the constitution because it accords democracy at the grass roots levels in regions that have high percentage of indigenous tribal population. Ladakh has more than 90% indigenous population. With the inclusion of the region in the sixth schedule of the constitution , Ladakh will have autonomous district councils where local people representatives can make their own laws regarding their own customs, land, forests , rivers and so on. Sonam emphatically says that this will be the best option for Ladakh to have its bast say in the safeguard of the fragile ecology , forests and everything. He said that their relentless struggle will continue till their demand for inclusion of Ladakh in the Sixth schedule will not be fulfilled adding that the Sixth Schedule, which falls under Article 244, provides for the formation of Autonomous District Councils (ADCs) that enjoy some administrative, judicial, and legislative autonomy in the state.
Almost 30 members constitute these ADCs and serve a tenure of five years during which they are free to make rules, laws and regulations regarding agriculture, water, forest, health, sanitation, land, village councils, social customs, marriage and divorce, inheritance, town- and village-level policing, mining, etc said Sonam while interacting with WION.
