Not Just Another Protest But A March To Survive

A week ago environmentalist-educationist Sonam Wangchuk’s climate march from Delhi to Leh entered the seventh day. Wangchuk has been joined by hundreds of Ladakhis' on this landmark long march that once again aims at bringing attention to the fragile ecosystem of the region that is being threatened by climate change, as well as demand statehood for Ladakh. However, the news seems to have been treated as just another protest by the mainstream media.

The 'padyatra', organised by the Leh Apex Body and Kargil Democratic Alliance, is expected to conclude on Oct 2 at Rajghat, New Delhi. The day is observed as Gandhi Jayanti, the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, who himself had undertaken such long marches to raise awareness about various issues impacting India.

Sonam Wangchuk has in recent times, launched many peaceful protests to bring attention to the environmental threats faced by the Union Territory. Just six months ago, Wangchuk fasted for 21 days, reportedly surviving on just salt and water. His hunger strike made it to international headlines and the world became aware of the local’s demand for statehood for Ladakh, as well as the condition of the fragile Himalayan ecology

In the days he fasted Wangchuk, continued to share updates about his health and showed the world visuals of the hundreds who braved the icy temperatures and fasted with him, sitting in protest outdoors.

Even after he called off his fast on March 26, Wangchuk began a sit-in protest to continue to press for the demands. However this was called off on May 10 as the Lok Sabha elections were due.

The government has not agreed to the demands for statehood for Ladakh and its inclusion in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution till now. Wangchuk has decided to bring the demand to Delhi.

In May he had told Press Trust Of India that, “The Sixth Schedule is required to protect the mountains, glaciers and ecology. Though it is required in the whole country, mountains are ultra-sensitive.”

He has maintained that “inclusion of Ladakh in the Sixth Schedule will ensure that corporates have to ask the people before doing anything with the mountains.” he claimed that the Bharatiya Janata Party “had also promised safeguards under the Sixth Schedule in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls and the 2020 Hill Development Council polls” adding “First they went cold on the issue, then they went back on their word, so we had to… (launch) an agitation.”

Now with the elections over and the new BJP-led government in power, the agitation is back.

On Thursday the long march crossed Taglang La Pass, and reached Debring Plains.

“Day 5 OF #ClimateMarch Crossed mighty Taglang la pass (17,450 ft) & reached Debring plains, part of the Tibetan plateau -roof of the world, at over 15,000 ft Steep climb of 1000 m + long march after descent took us 10 hrs.

“Everyone in good shape still Video update tomorrow as network is weak. See you in Delhi soon #SaveLadakh #SaveHimalayas #DelhiChalo,” Wangchuk wrote on his X account.

Sajjad Kargili, senior member of the Kargil Democratic Alliance, said: “Kargil Democratic Alliance has decided to launch the Caravan for the Restoration of Democracy from Kargil to Delhi and join the Apex Body Leh's Pad Yatra in Delhi on 1 October 2024.

“Both Apex Body Leh and Kargil Democratic Alliance are demanding the four-point agenda includes full-fledged statehood for Ladakh; constitutional safeguards under the 6th schedule of the Indian Constitution, early recruitment process and PSC for Ladakh and separate Lok Sabha seats for Leh and Kargil regions.”

Talks between Ladakh’s representatives and the Central government ended in March without any concrete outcome.

Amid chants of “We want Sixth Schedule”, LAB chairperson Thupstan Chhewang flagged off the march from the NDS Memorial Park with Wangchuk expressing hope that the government would “greet them with good news” upon their reaching Delhi on Gandhi Jayanti, marking the birth anniversary of Father of the Nation on October 2.

“It is a matter of satisfaction that people from all sections of the society, including elders, women and youngsters, have joined this march in support of our demands…

“Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, and Union Territory with a Legislature is our democratic right as we want development and management of the region in accordance with our wishes and aspirations,” Chhewang said.

Chhewang said this was a people’s movement and the government should fulfil the demands of Ladakhis without a second thought.

“We are sharing borders with Pakistan and China, who may be boasting about their technology, but I want to tell my country that Indians should be proud of the people of Ladakh, who are ready to sacrifice their lives for the nation,” he said.

Expressing confidence that more people would join the march en route to Delhi via Himachal Pradesh, he said people were enthusiastic as was evident when even a 90-year-old Ladakhi citizen, who lives in Switzerland, was ready to join them in Delhi.

“This is another phase of our struggle. The KDA is not joining this march at the initial stage but will definitely give a positive response as the march moves to Delhi,” Chhewang said.

Massive protests have been taking place in Leh and Kargil districts of Ladakh. In February thousands of protesters rallied in response to a shutdown call against demanding tribal status for Ladakh including the constitutional changes brought about by the reading down of Article 370.

Called the biggest protest since 2019, the shutdown in the region was called by the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), two influential groups who are spearheading an agitation to demand special rights for the people of Ladakh after the region was separated from Jammu and Kashmir.

The demands of the movement include the restoration of statehood for Ladakh. The region was changed from a state to a Union territory (without a legislature) on August 5, 2019. The other demands include "tribal status for Ladakh, with its inclusion in the Constitution's Sixth Schedule, job reservation for locals and a parliamentary seat each for the Leh and Kargil districts."

In 1949, the Sixth Schedule was enacted per Article 244 of the Indian Constitution. The Sixth Schedule was designed to protect the indigenous and tribal groups by establishing and functioning autonomous district divisions known as the autonomous district councils or ADCs.

The Sixth Schedule includes provisions for the administration of tribal areas Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram in northeast India. It establishes autonomous councils that have legislative, judicial, executive and financial powers to independently govern these areas.

The purpose of the Sixth Schedule is to protect the interests of the tribal populations in the northeastern states through autonomous governance.

There are a total of 10 autonomous councils under the Sixth Schedule, including three each in Assam, Meghalaya and Mizoram and one in Tripura.

There has been a round of meetings between the two organisations and a committee appointed by the Centre on December 4, 2023. In the first meeting, the committee addressed the constitutional safeguards for the region. However, both LAB and KDA stuck to all of their four demands.

The demands deserve greater political attention. According to the government of India’s own Department of Science and Technology the climate change impact has already begun to show in the fragile region.

The department has stated that “the Parkachik Glacier in Ladakh is likely to have three lakes of different dimensions due to subglacial over-deepening”.

Scientists from Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, an autonomous institute under the Department of Science & Technology had carried out a study that describes the morphological and dynamic changes of Parkachik Glacier, Suru River Valley, Ladakh Himalaya, India.

The findings were published in the journal ‘Annals of Glaciology’. It stated that “three new lakes may form in Parkachik Glacier in Ladakh due to glacial retreat.”

According to a recent report in Down To Earth magazine, Ladakh, “is burning this summer due to a huge deficit in rainfall. On July 28, 2024, the Leh division recorded 33.5 degrees Celsius (°C). Similarly, the temperature recorded in the Kargil division was 37.5°C.

“The whole of Ladakh received only 12 percent of its expected rainfall, resulting in an 88 per cent deficit in the Leh region. The Leh division of Ladakh received a meagre rainfall of 3 mm this year, as against the normal of 15 mm.”

According to the Zero Waste Ladakh, a non-profit organisation dedicated to protecting the mountains and local communities in Ladakh, the area “is on the frontline of climate change. Despite having contributed least to the problem, it is experiencing some of the most severe consequences.

“The fragile ecology and rich biodiversity of the region is under threat. The rapid melting of glaciers is a cause for looming water shortage and jeopardises the traditional livelihoods of the local communities.

“Human activities, like road construction, expansion of settlements, and tourism have caused extensive habitat loss for animals, birds and plants. The wetlands have severely degraded and natural springs, which were a lifeline of local communities, are also disappearing. Waste and pollution are added threats in the region which contaminate land, water bodies and the air.

“Addressing these crises in the region is challenging due to its remoteness and the harsh conditions. Local communities who have lived in harmony with nature for centuries, now find themselves at the crossroads, having to choose between economic prosperity and protecting the environment. However, we believe a sustainable future is still possible if we take action now.”

Affirmative political action is the need of the hour in the Union Territory. The BJP, which the locals accused of ‘betrayal’ of sorts for not delivering their poll promises had met an embarrassing defeat in the Ladakh Lok Sabha constituency. The saffron party had enjoyed two consecutive wins in 2014 and 2019 general elections, and in 2024 lost to Shia leader, Hanifa Jan.

“The defeat came despite massive military build-up at the nomad-populated borders, invasive political investment, and the media blitz around Ladakh in recent years” The Frontline magazine had stated.

It credited Wangchuk’s 21-day hunger strike as one of the forces that were able to “”shake the lotus before the independent candidate Mohmad Haneefa Jan uprooted it with a convincing win in the 18th Lok Sabha election”.