Hundreds of people in Kargil, led mainly by the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), started a three-day fast on Sunday to press for Ladakh’s special status and statehood in solidarity with Sonam Wangchuk, the fasting climate activist from Leh.

Wangchuk’s fast entered the 19th day on Sunday. The activist is on a 21-day fast, which ends on March 26, to protest against the Centre’s reluctance to grant statehood and special status to Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.

KDA leader Sajjad Kargili said its entire leadership assembled at Hussaini Park on Sunday morning to join a three-day hunger strike in solidarity with Wangchuk and for their demands. They were joined by dozens of volunteers.

The elected leadership of the Kargil Autonomous Hill Development Council led by chief executive councillor Dr Jazzar Akhoon and co-chairmen of KDA Asgar Ali Karbalai and Qamar Ali Akhoon are part of the hunger strike.

KDA is an alliance representing mainly Muslim groups. It is jointly spearheading the campaign for more rights with the Leh-based Apex Body, which represents mainly Buddhist political, social and religious organisations in Leh.

The participants raised slogans in favour of their demands.

“We have held five rounds of talks with the home ministry but on March 4 we were told that we will be given some constitutional safeguards but not the statehood and Sixth Schedule of the Constitution,” Karbalai said.

He said the KDA and the Apex Body unanimously decided to intensify the agitation with the start of a hunger strike by Wangchuk.

In Leh, Wangchuk said 5,000 people joined him in sub-zero temperatures on the 19th day of his fast.

He proposed a representation for activists representing nature in Parliament.

“It may sound weird, just as giving voting rights to women or blacks was unthinkable till about 100 years ago. The question is which country might start it first! Can it be India!?,” he said in a post on X.