The detention of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk along with his supporters by the Delhi Police is very unfortunate. Wangchuk, along with 125 fellow protesters from Ladakh, was held by the Delhi Police at the Singhu border on Monday. The action came under the shadow of prohibitory orders cast over the capital, stretching until 6 October. The march, which was aimed to conclude at Rajghat on 2 October, was planned to commemorate the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. Beginning on 1 September, the march was launched to push the Centre into resuming discussions with Ladakh’s leadership.
At the heart of their demands is a four-point agenda, calling for statehood, inclusion under the Constitution’s 6th Schedule, a dedicated public service commission with an accelerated recruitment process, and separate Lok Sabha seats for Leh and Kargil. Instead of addressing the issues raised by Mr Wangchuk, the government has detained him and his supporters. This is a racist behaviour by the government of India. The people of Ladakh deserve attention from the government of India towards issues raised by them. Like the Northeast region, Ladakh also is a unique place and an important part of India. The people of Ladakh are highly patriotic. What is happening with Mr Wangchuk is an eye-opener for NE states, in particular Arunachal Pradesh. Arunachal also needs more constitutional safety. Often in the past, opposition parties as well as student bodies have urged the government of India to rectify the Statehood Act. But so far no action has been initiated. Can we really trust the central government to look into our demands after seeing their dismal attitude towards Mr Wangchuk and the people of Ladakh?