NVI Correspondent
Srinagar, Sep 02 (NVI): With scores of his supporters in tow, prominent activist of Ladakh Sonam Wangchuk has launched a ‘Padyatra’ (foot march) from Leh to Delhi to press for restoration of Statehood to Ladakh and its inclusion in the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution.
Chanting slogans, “fulfil our demands, we want Sixth Schedule,” Wangchuk and his supporters would reach Delhi on October 2, the birthday anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, after walking thousands of kilometers.
“We will reach Raj Ghat New Delhi on October 2, on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti and protest there. We will remind Prime Minister Narendera Modi about the promise made to us and demand immediate fulfilment of our promises,” he said.
Wangchuk, on whom a hit Hindi movie ‘3 Idiots’ was based, had earlier this year in March led over a month-long ‘climateFast’ agitation in Leh in extreme cold conditions to highlight their demands for protection of environment of Ladakh.
“We abandoned our andolan in view of the Lok Sabha elections but when nothing happened in the past over two months, we have started it again,” he told NVI over phone.
Earlier, while launching the march last evening, Wangchuk posted on social media platform X: “Month-long Leh-Delhi Padyatra march begins…. Hello Delhi, see you at Rajghat on Gandhi Jayanti, 2nd October… We are coming to encash a cheque….”
This evening, he posted: “A march of 1,000 kilometers over some of the world’s highest passes above 17,500 ft altitude to #SaveLadakh #SaveHimalayas #SupportLadakh.”
Wangchuk said the BJP-led Central government had mentioned the protection of Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule in their manifestos for 2019 Lok Sabha elections and 2020 Ladakh Hill Council polls.
During several meetings, the BJP government has been talking of a much-diluted version of what is already in the Constitution.
Ladakhi leadership has already entered into talks with Centre to discuss threadbare the demands for Ladakh’s statehood, inclusion of the Union Territory in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution and the setting up of an exclusive public service commission for the high-altitude region.
The talks, however, have remained inconclusive so far— (NVI).
