Renowned environmentalist from Ladakh, Sonam Wangchuk, has been on a hunger strike for the past 15 days, seeking constitutional safeguards for Ladakh.
His protest is gaining traction as the prominent and influential religious figure Jagadguru Shankar Acharya recently showed support for Wangchuk’s ongoing hunger strike at Martyrs Park in Leh.
Wangchuk shared on the social media platform X, "Villages in Ladakh observed a fast, from those bordering China and Pakistan to the city of Leh. In Delhi, hundreds of people came to join us, but they were forcibly bundled into buses and detained."
On the 15th day of his fast, Wangchuk said, "Jagadguru Shankar Acharya Ji visited the Anshan place at Martyrs Park in Leh to support the movement."
Prior to this, members of the All India Students Association (AISA) were detained by Delhi Police while protesting outside Ladakh Bhawan in solidarity with Wangchuk.
Wangchuk is fighting to safeguard the rights of Ladakh's local population via the inclusion of Ladakh in the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution, which, according to the Ministry of Home Affairs, is unacceptable.
He began his indefinite hunger strike on October 5 to highlight the need for statehood and inclusion in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.
This inclusion would allow Ladakh’s local population to protect their land and cultural identity, a demand supported by the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA).
The Delhi High Court has issued a notice seeking responses from the Delhi Police and other parties on a plea filed by the Leh Apex Body.
The plea sought permission for Wangchuk and others to hold a peaceful protest or hunger strike at Jantar Mantar from October 8 to October 23.
A bench comprising Justice Prathiba M. Singh and Justice Amit Sharma has directed the parties to submit their replies by October 16, with a detailed hearing scheduled for October 22.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Delhi Police, opposed the plea, questioning the urgency of the protest.
Meanwhile, the LAB and KDA stated that the right to peaceful protest is guaranteed by the Constitution of India and must be upheld.
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