Climate activist and Ramon Magsaysay awardee Sonam Wangchuk began a 35-day fast with the Leh Apex Body, pressing for Ladakh’s statehood and inclusion under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.
Wangchuk said the Union government halted talks two months ago, forcing them to escalate protests; he reminded BJP of its pre-poll promise of Sixth Schedule status.
The movement, supported by Leh and Kargil groups, is framed as peaceful and constitutional, with October 2 (Gandhi Jayanti) marked as a symbolic milestone.
Climate activist and Ramon Magsaysay awardee Sonam Wangchuk on Wednesday launched a 35-day hunger strike in Leh, alongside the Leh Apex Body (LAB), to press for statehood and constitutional safeguards for Ladakh.
Addressing a press conference, Wangchuk said that despite repeated assurances, the Union home ministry has not held talks with local representatives for nearly two months. “Just when discussions were about to reach the stage of addressing our core demands, the government stopped calling meetings,” he noted.
The agitation seeks inclusion of Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, which would provide greater legislative and cultural protections for the region. Wangchuk also reminded the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of its promise during the last hill council elections to secure Sixth Schedule status for Ladakh, stressing that the commitment must be honoured ahead of the upcoming polls.
The Leh Apex Body held an all-faith prayer service, underlining that their protest will remain peaceful and non-violent, and strictly within constitutional bounds. October 2, Gandhi Jayanti, has been marked as a “landmark day” in their ongoing movement.
This is the latest escalation in the joint struggle by the Leh Apex Body and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), who have for months demanded full statehood and constitutional recognition. Earlier this year, Wangchuk had deferred a hunger strike after the home ministry promised talks, but the stalemate has revived the agitation.
