A group of activists from Arunachal Pradesh have expressed solidarity with Raman Magsaysay award winner and climate activist Sonam Wangchuk seeking constitutional safeguards for Ladakh and who is staging a climate fast since March 6.
On Sunday morning, a small group of activists, including advocates, a film-maker and environmentalists assembled at the IG Park in Itanagar, about 3,191 km away from Ladakh, in solidarity with the causes Wangchuk is espousing and trying to draw the attention of the world to with his climate fast which entered its thirteenth day on Monday.
Wangchuk has been demanding the Sixth Schedule and statehood for Ladakh so that the local indigenous populace can manage and safeguard their land and resources.
The Sixth Schedule provides for the protection of tribal rights. Areas under the Sixth Schedule also enjoy autonomy and can make laws and rules with regard to land and other natural resources.
Ladakh became a Union Territory in 2019 following the Centre’s repeal of Article 370 of the Constitution that gave special powers to Jammu and Kashmir.
The two-hour solidarity gathering in Itanagar was held under the initiative of Itanagar-based lawyer-activist Ebo Mili under the aegis of North East Human Rights (NEHR), formed in 2021.
The participants displayed placard that said, ‘We are with Sonam Wangchuk’; ‘Ladakh demands Sixth Schedule’; ‘We are with U, Save Ladakh’ and ‘In solidarity with the tribals of Ladakh’.
Lawyer-activist Ebo Mili told The Telegraph on Monday that their “solidarity gathering” on Sunday was organised to support “Sonam Ji’s fight to secure the future of Ladakh, to support his fight for constitutional safeguards, including 6th Schedule and statehood for Ladakh”.
He added: “Ladakh or Arunachal, we are part of the Himalayan range and we share the same kind of issues and fragile ecology, which needs to be protected. We need to stand in solidarity because the issues they (Ladakh) are facing today, we may face tomorrow. If we stand with them today, they will stand with us tomorrow.”
Mili also said they kept the gathering “restricted to 11-12 people” because they did not want “people to attend without knowing the actual cause for the gathering”.
Mili also said they will hold a “small congregation as they did on Sunday or stage a climate fast on March 24” wherever they are because of the upcoming elections in the state “in honour of Sonam ji appeal made on Monday through his post on X”.
Arunachal Pradesh will have simultaneous Assembly and Lok Sabha polls on April 19.
On Monday morning, Wangchuk uploaded a 3.52m video from the climate fast venue to remind the Centre of “the promises they have made in different election manifestos in writing to safeguard Ladakh in the Himalayas, and the fragile mountains and the indigenous tribal culture that lives here, under the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution”.
He also said finally on March 4 after “four years of dilly-dallying” they “declined to fulfil their promises” which, Wangchuk said, “was a total breach of trust” and that “if it continues it will set a very bad precedent for all elections and governments to come”.
