Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, Feb 5: The Ladakh leaders today warned fast unto death in case the February 19 High Powered Committee (HPC) meeting called by Union MoS Home Nityanand Rai failed to have any positive outcome.
The warning was issued by Leh Apex Body (LAB) chairman and former MP, Ladakh, Thupstan Chewang and Sonam Wangchuk, an environmentalist and key campaigner for Constitutional safeguards for Ladakh, while addressing separate press conferences at Leh and New Delhi today along with senior leaders of Ladakh and members of LAB.
Thupstan Chewang, who was flanked by senior leaders of Ladakh said that in case no tangible result emerged in the High Powered Committee meeting called by Union Government on February 19 this month, the LAB will intensify its agitational programme and its senior leaders will resort to fast unto death to take their ongoing struggle to logical conclusion.
He said this was also decided earlier during February 3 massive protest and bandh jointly called by LAB and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) that in case the demands were not conceded in February 19 High Powered Committee meet, the LAB and KDA will intensify the agitation.
Chewang said the LAB and KDA have decided to take part in High Powered Committee meeting on February 19 but if it failed to have any positive outcome the agitation will be intensified and he along with environmentalist and Ramon Magsaysay Award winner, Sonam Wangchuk will launch fast unto death. He said in case High Powered Committee meeting yields tangible results then the LAB and KDA will review its decision. “In case no tangible comes out of the meeting, they will go as per their scheduled programme”, he added.
Chewang said they had apprehensions as in last High Powered Committee meeting they were asked to give demands in writing and after consultation with legal luminaries they framed a draft that was submitted to the Government but nothing substantial materialised till date, he added.
He said in view of past practice it can also be a long drawn agitation so people of the Ladakh region have to brace up for the same. “In case any of the leaders on fast dies, the struggle should continue and the agitators should not get disheartened”, he added.
He appealed the people of the region to join in large numbers during the first day of fast unto death in the protest.
He said to chalk out the programme for protracted agitation a Committee under the leadership of Chering Dorjay a former Minister has been constituted and the youth of the region will also be involved in this struggle.
Chewang said that the Committee will hold meetings at block level and mobilise the public opinion for the long drawn struggle in this regard.
He said a massive demonstration will be held on the first day of the fast in which a large number of the people of the region will participate.
At New Delhi today Sonam Wangchuk 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 said, “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 demanding 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.
It has also been demanding Statehood, dedicated PSC and two Parliamentary seats for Ladakh. The KDA also has similar demands.
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.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
