Srinagar– Leaders in Ladakh on Monday said that it would intensify protests and threatened to go on a hunger strike if there is no positive outcome during their meeting with the High Powered Committee on Feb 19.
Former Member of Parliament Thupstan Chewang and founding member of Leh Apex Body addressing a news conference in Leh ahead of their talks with the High Powered Committee (HPC) led by MoS Home Nitiyanand Rai on February 19 reiterated their 4-point agenda.
Talking to reporters, the Apex Body Leh Chairman said that the talks with the centre have been going on for a very long now, but the last meeting with the HPC was the commencement of deliberations officially which was recorded as well.
“The High Powered Committee (HPC) had asked both KDA and Apex Body to submit demands in writing. After consultations, a draft proposal was submitted with the hope that it would lead to a second round of talks immediately. We were also assured by the HPC that the next round of talks would resume shortly, but it took a long,” said the Apex Body Chairman.
Chewang said that they responded to the long haul in the shape of a protest across Ladakh which was also supported by the region’s prominent environmentalist Sonam Wangchuk.
He said that they will wait for the outcome of the 19th February meeting with HPC and if that turns out to be positive and in favor of the people of Ladakh will be welcomed. “In case, he said if there is nothing positive they will strengthen their protests across the region post-19 February,” he added.
Chewang said that they have also decided to form a committee to hold deliberations with people and include everyone including youth.
He informed that the Apex Body formed committee has been tasked to prepare for the hunger strike of both Thupstan Chewang and Sonam Wangchuk in case there is no positive response from HPC.
He said that no matter what, the hunger strike will continue until their demands are not met.
“If there is a proper positive response from HPC, then further course of action shall be deliberated upon and shared accordingly. In case of no positive response, then the strategy already discussed shall be implemented and walked upon,” the Chairman said.
To a query, he said that if there is any positive commitment from HPC, then there is a need to hold further rounds of talks. “HPC still has time, and even if they can provide something through an ordinance it would be acceptable. Any positive commitment would also lead to engaging in further talks,” he said.
Will launch fast unto death from Feb 19 for constitutional safeguards for Ladakh: Sonam Wangchuk
Sonam Wangchuk, a key campaigner for constitutional safeguards for Ladakh, on Monday said they would launch a fast unto death from February 19 to press their demands and that details of participation of local residents in the agitation were being worked out.
The Ramon Magsaysay Award winner said a sense of desperation is growing among the local residents over their unfulfilled demands, including safeguards under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution and full statehood for Ladakh.
On the proposed fast unto death, Wangchuk told PTI Videos, “First it will be Thupstan Chhewang (former BJP Lok Sabha MP) and me and if we die, who next and how many? All that roster is being prepared.”
He said he was earlier planning to go on a three-week-long fast from February 3 but postponed it after Chhewang, the chairman of the Leh Apex Body (LAB), asked him to wait till February 19, when prominent leaders from the Union territory would meet Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai in New Delhi.
Rai heads a high-powered committee, set up to look into various issues pertaining to the protection of rights of Ladakh residents.
Ladakh witnessed a major protest rally on Saturday when the Union Territory observed a complete shutdown in response to calls given by the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) in support of their four-point agenda.
“People came out in numbers like 30,000, which is unprecedented in the history of Ladakh. It’s like one third of the adult population of Ladakh came out to tell the government that it was not the voice of one person but everyone wanted the safeguards for the region,” Wangchuk said.
He said this was the result of restlessness among the people as several rounds of talks have taken place and nothing came out of them.
Wangchuk explained what the safeguards under the Sixth Schedule meant for them.
“All that the Sixth Schedule does is that it requires the consultation of local indigenous people in any agenda. It is about setting up councils of indigenous people with legislative rights, lawmaking rights, and any industry can come, but not without consultation or consent of the people.
“Secondly, it’s not also about protecting Ladakh from outsiders alone. It’s as much protecting Ladakh from Ladakhi people. We can do a lot of damage also. Like there’s Pangong lake, there’s Tsomoriri lake, very fragile ecosystems,” he said.
The LAB has been demanded inclusion of Ladakh in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, which provides safeguards for tribal rights. It is in force in tribal areas in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram.
The KDA has been demanding statehood for Ladakh.
Wangchuk said the prevailing desperation was making people say that they were better off being with the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, which was bifurcated into Union territories in 2019.
“…many people are saying that. I think that’s the extent of their pain. I don’t think that people really want to be in a state where their peculiar environmental conditions do not match. But people are expressing their anguish and pain…,” he said in reply to a question.
Wangchuk, while advocating for the Union territory to have its own legislature, said that strategically also it was important for the region to have its elected representatives.
“In Chinese maps, they show Ladakh. Now, if India says yes, it is disputed. We are keeping it without democracy, because it is disputed. China will be happy to say, yes, it was ours. You have acquired it,” he said.
After the reorganisation of Jammu and Kashmir on August 5, 2019, Ladakh was made a Union territory without any legislature and is governed by an lieutenant governor. (with PTI inputs)
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