National Desk
6 October
Sandeep Dhand Ludhiana
Environmental activist Sonam Wangchuk, known for his work in Ladakh, began a hunger strike today at Ladakh Bhavan in Delhi, along with his colleagues. This decision was made after he was not allowed to hold a protest at Jantar Mantar. Wangchuk, along with around 18 people, is now protesting near the gate of Ladakh Bhavan.
Wangchuk had come to Delhi with demands including the inclusion of Ladakh in the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution, which aims to provide special rights to tribal areas. He expressed his disappointment over not being given a place to hold his protest at Jantar Mantar, a popular site for demonstrations in Delhi.
Speaking to the media before starting the hunger strike, Wangchuk said that since there was no designated spot available for their movement, they were forced to conduct their protest at Ladakh Bhavan itself. He shared his frustration in a post on ‘X’ (formerly Twitter), stating, “Another disapproval, another disappointment. Finally, this morning we got this rejection letter for the officially designated venue for the protest.”
Wangchuk has been leading the ‘Delhi Chalo Padal Yatra,’ a march that began from Leh about a month ago, to raise awareness about issues affecting Ladakh.