Year after violent statehood protests in Ladakh, Sonam Wangchuk to lead 20-km march on Sep 23 | India News

Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk will lead a symbolic 20-km march on September 23 to reiterate the demands for constitutional safeguards for Ladakh, a year after four people were killed in police firing during protests for the statehood and the region’s inclusion under the Constitution’s Sixth Schedule to preserve its tribal character.Wangchuk’s office said on Sunday that a “martyr’s day event” will follow the march the next day to mark the first anniversary of the civilian killings on September 24. Ladakh’s leaders have been demanding just compensation for the families of those killed and the withdrawal of related cases.Wangchuk's fresh agitation threatLast week, Wangchuk and other Ladakh leaders threatened a fresh agitation from September 19 to 24 after a meeting with Union home ministry officials in Delhi yielded no breakthrough. The agitation was called off citing weather conditions.The Ladakh administration announced ₹15 lakh compensation each for the families of the four killed and ₹3 lakh for those injured. But Wangchuk said last week he was unhappy with the amount. “Looking at this compensation, I do not feel happy. Rather, my head is down with shame,” said Wangchuk, who spent six months in detention under the National Security Act (NSA) for allegedly inciting violence in Ladakh.Wangchuk, 59, was accused of misleading people by provocatively mentioning Arab Spring-style protests. The government revoked his detention in March with “immediate effect,” citing the need to facilitate “constructive and meaningful dialogue with all stakeholders.”His release came days before the Supreme Court was set to hear a habeas corpus petition over the activist’s incarceration under the 1980 law, which allows detention for up to 12 months without trial.Wangchuk was detained on September 26, two days after the protests over demands for statehood for Ladakh turned violent. The Central Bureau of Investigation also launched a preliminary inquiry against an institute that Wangchuk founded.Wangchuk's hunger strikeWangchuk’s hunger strike and forcible removal from Delhi’s Jantar Mantar galvanised the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest movement against paper leaks and exam irregularities, and forced the then Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan to resign in July.Ladakh was carved out as a Union territory without a legislative assembly in August 2019, following the nullification of the Constitution’s Article 370, which ended Jammu and Kashmir’s semi-autonomous status. There have since been demands for statehood and constitutional safeguards. In 2023, the Union Home Ministry formed a committee under minister of state Nityanand Rai to protect the region’s culture, language, and strategic interests.Separately, Ladakh lieutenant-governor VK Saxena approved a notification from the revenue department creating Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils across all seven districts.The Ladakh leaders, who have had four rounds of discussions with the Union home ministry, have expressed frustration over the government stalling the decisions. On September 10, they said in Delhi that the ministry is yet to present a draft proposal for constitutional safeguards and an elected governance model for Ladakh.The government has hinted that the draft should be ready by October.