Wary of Wangchuk

WHO is afraid of Ladakhi activist Sonam Wangchuk? His ‘Dilli Chalo Padyatra’, which began from Leh a month ago, was stalled at the Singhu border on Monday night. Wangchuk and his supporters, who are demanding Sixth Schedule status for India’s youngest UT, were detained by the Delhi Police. The ostensible reason was a six-day ban on protests and the gathering of five or more persons in the central and border areas of the national capital. However, the grounds on which the ban has been imposed — ‘heavy movement of VVIPs’ on Gandhi Jayanti as well as the J&K and Haryana Assembly elections — are unconvincing. The restrictions appear to be a pre-emptive move to deter Wangchuk and his fellow protesters from gaining nationwide traction for their pressing issues.

Wangchuk deserves to be present at Raj Ghat today as he has grittily internalised the Mahatma's spirit of satyagraha. He made a big statement in March when he observed a 21-day fast to highlight two key demands: statehood for Ladakh and its inclusion under the Constitution’s Sixth Schedule to help protect the ecologically fragile region from an industrial onslaught. Wangchuk had fittingly chosen the pious occasion of Gandhi Jayanti to conclude his march, but it was abruptly and ruthlessly cut short by the powers that be.

The Centre has chosen to confine this tireless crusader to Delhi’s borders, like all those farmers who stayed put for a year in protest against the farm laws. The creation of new districts is not enough to address the grievances of the Ladakhi people. Their bitter disillusionment with the BJP was evident in its embarrassing loss in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the first after Ladakh became a UT. The saffron party had won the seat in 2014 and 2019, but an Independent, Mohmad Haneefa, triumphed this time. Haneefa has urged the Centre to resume talks with the agitating groups. The onus is on the government to hear out the residents of this long-neglected region, starting with Wangchuk.