Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk and his supporters in “Delhi Chalo Padayatra” were detained by Delhi Police on Monday night. Approximately 150 protesters from Ladakh, along with Wangchuk were detained at the Singhu border of the national capital.
The detention of Sonam Wangchuk and other Ladakhi protesters has escalated tensions between Ladakhis and the central government sparking the ‘Ladakh Bandh.’ Rahul Gandhi has raised his voice in support of Ladakh and criticized the government for the detention.
Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk and his supporters in “Delhi Chalo Padayatra” were detained by Delhi Police on Monday night. Approximately 150 protesters from Ladakh, along with Wangchuk were detained at the Singhu border of the national capital.
The group, referring to themselves as “Padayatris”, was participating in a march towards Gandhi Samadhi in Delhi, aimed at advocating for Sixth Schedule status for the Union Territory of Ladakh.
A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed in Delhi High Court against the detention. The court refused to list the matter today but scheduled the hearing for October 3.
Following the detention of Ladakh padyatris, the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) and Apex Body, Leh called for "Ladakh Bandh" on Tuesday. Shops across the Union Territory remain closed as residents demand Wangchuk and his supporters to be released.
As per PTI reports, a spokesperson from the group said that Wangchuk and his supporters have launched an indefinite fast at the police station. He also said that Wangchuk was not even allowed to meet his lawyer after being detained. The spokesperson said that protesters had sought official permission and had emailed the Prime Minister and Home Minister. However, he alleged that the mail was used against them to detain at the border.
“Modi ji, like with the farmers, this ‘Chakravyuh’ will be broken, and so will your arrogance. You will have to listen to Ladakh’s voice,”Gandhi wrote on X.
'Delhi Chalo Padayatra,' is a march to Delhi, organized by the Leh Apex Body and the Kargil Democratic Alliance, both of which have been advocating for statehood, constitutional rights, and other local governance issues for the past four years.
Wangchuk, prior to his detention, shared video updates from the border where police presence was substantial, indicating that their buses were being stopped. Initially believing they were being escorted, however, the reality of their situation became clear as they neared the capital, Sonam said in the video.
The protestors are seeking key demands including the extension of the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution to Ladakh, the establishment of a public service commission, and the allocation of separate Lok Sabha seats for the Leh and Kargil districts. These demands have been central to the ongoing agitation by local leaders.
The Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora on Monday announced the imposition of section 163 (which was earlier section 144 of CrPC) of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) in the districts of New Delhi, North and Central and all police stations jurisdiction sharing the borders with other states till October 5. The order bans gatherings of five or more persons in various parts of the national capital, citing law and order concerns amid expected protests from various organizations.
Wangchuk and his team wanted to spend the night at the border but the police denied the same due to the prohibitory order under section 163 of BNSS. "They were initially requested to go back as prohibitory orders were imposed in Delhi but when they did not stop, the policemen who were already deployed at the border, detained about 120 men, including Wangchuk," a police officer said.
According to reports, around 1,000 police personnel were deployed to manage the situation at the Delhi border. Although the police did not spare older citizens, the women participating in the march were not detained. However, Ladakh MP Mohmad Haneefa claimed that around 30 women were also among the detainees. "Several people from Ladakh have been detained. They have been kept at different police stations. I met some of them late last night and early today," Haneefa told news agency PTI.
The decisions made by the authorities have sparked debates regarding civil rights and the right to protest in the context of local governance issues.
The sixth schedule of the Indian Constitution provides for the tribal areas in the states of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram in northeast India. It was designed to protect the indigenous and tribal groups by establishing and functioning autonomous district divisions called Autonomous District Councils (ADC).
Sonam Wangchuk and other Ladakhis are demanding the sixth schedule for Ladakh as they seek sustainable development and protect the UT's environment and culture. They want to have a say in the laws made for the UT as around 97% population of Ladakh are tribals.
“We have two appeals: one for global citizens to change lifestyles to mitigate local hardships. Simultaneously, local and national governments can provide autonomy to local people, as provided by provisions like the Sixth Schedule, empowering indigenous communities to manage their mountains sustainably and ensuring democratic decision-making and progress,” Wangchuk said in a conversation with Mongabay-India.