Sonam Wangchuk on the final day of his five-day hunger strike in support of the demand for various safeguards for Ladakh

30-01-2023 : On Monday, hundreds of people supported education reformist Sonam Wangchuk as he ended his five-day hunger strike. The strike was in support of demands for various safeguards for Ladakh, including the extension of the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution to the Union territory. Among the supporters were leaders from the Leh Apex Body of People’s Movement for the Sixth Schedule and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA). The two groups are jointly advocating for four demands, including full statehood and safeguards under the Sixth Schedule for the region.

Wangchuk, an engineer who inspired a character in the Bollywood movie “3 Idiots,” expressed gratitude for the public’s support. He said the hunger strike was meant to bring attention to the Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) so that leaders could brief him on their concerns and demands.

Wangchuk emphasized the importance of safeguarding the Himalayas and its glaciers, which directly affects the people of the sub-continent. He called on the government to have a plan for protecting the environment and to keep its promise of extending the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution to Ladakh. In the event of no response from the government, Wangchuk threatened to intensify his protest with longer hunger strikes.

Former MP and Chairman of the Leh Apex Body of People’s Movement for the Sixth Schedule, Thupstan Chhewang, announced a rally on January 31 to protest the government’s failure to protect the identity and culture of Ladakh. On January 15, the Apex Body and KDA staged a protest in Jammu in support of their demands, including protection of land and jobs. They also announced a similar protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi in the third week of February.