Sonam Wangchuk says will sit on indefinite fast in New Delhi

Spearheading an agitation for Ladakh’s Sixth Schedule status, climate activist Sonam Wangchuk and Kargil Democratic Alliance member Sajjad Hussain Kargili on Saturday said they will sit on an indefinite fast here but are yet to find a venue.

Wangchuk had on Friday said he and other protesters from Ladakh would sit on an indefinite fast since they have not received any response from the government over their demand of meeting the President, prime minister or the Union home minister.

On Saturday, however, he confirmed that though they had sought permission to be allowed to sit at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, they are yet to receive permission.

While announcing the fast, Wangchuk had appealed to all groups, parties and organisations to provide them with a venue for their protest.

The climate activist is leading the ‘Delhi Chalo Padyatra’, which began from Leh a month ago. The march was organised by the Leh Apex Body, which along with the Kargil Democratic Alliance, has been spearheading an agitation for the last four years for statehood for Ladakh and its inclusion in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.

He and 150 people from Ladakh were detained from Delhi’s Singhu border on Monday night. They were taken to Mahatma Gandhi’s memorial at Rajghat on Wednesday and released later.