The hunger strike for statehood, extension of the Sixth Schedule and job reservations for Ladakh entered its third and final day on Monday, with activists and mainstream political leaders taking centrestage in the protests.
Several top leaders from the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), including co-chairman Chering Dorjay Lakrook, climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, and Ladakh MP Haneefa Jan Mohammad, have also joined the protests at Hussaini Park.
Before the protests, there was widespread speculation that Wangchuk and Dorjay would be arrested, though the authorities allowed them to participate in the three-day hunger strike on Sunday.
Wangchuk said, “I was determined to join the protest to highlight the demand of the people of Ladakh. There were rumours about our possible arrest, but I never took them seriously. I have never done anything wrong and always served the people, the nation.”
The climate activist said he wanted to tell Lt Governor of Ladakh Kavinder Gupta that the people of the region were not cowards, but 'peace-loving'. "I believe in talks. I am not afraid of jail," he said.
The protest commenced on Saturday and will conclude onn Monday evening.
MP Haneefa, who also joined the protest on Sunday, said the people of Ladakh were peacefully agitating for their demands and have been forced to go on a hunger strike due to the delaying tactics adopted by the Centre in scheduling fresh talks.
The talks between the LAB, KDA and the Centre’s high-powered committee ended in a deadlock earlier, after the MHA committee promised to extend the job reservation but ruled out the possibility of extending the sixth schedule, saying it was not acceptable to the Union government.
Follow us
