Activist Sonam Wangchuk’s 1,000-km Leh-Delhi foot march to cross through Himachal
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MANDI: Last Sunday, over 100 volunteers, holding placards that read “Save Himalayas-Save Ladakh”, embarked on a foot march from Leh to New Delhi. The march is spearheaded by renowned innovator and climate activist Sonam Wangchuk. The purpose is to urge the central government to restart stalled negotiations with Ladakh’s leadership concerning a four-point agenda.
‘Delhi Chalo Padyatra’ and its objective
The march, titled “Delhi Chalo Padyatra”, has been organised by the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA). These two groups have been leading a joint protest for the past four years. They are advocating for several key demands: granting statehood to Ladakh, extending the Constitution’s Sixth Schedule to the region, ensuring a timely recruitment process and the establishment of a Public Service Commission for Ladakh, and allocating separate Lok Sabha seats for the Leh and Kargil districts.
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Stalled talks and renewed hope
Despite several rounds of discussions, talks between Ladakh’s representatives and the central government concluded in March without any significant progress. The organisers hope that this march will bring renewed attention to their demands.
Amid enthusiastic chants of “Bharat Mata ki Jai” and “We want Sixth Schedule”, LAB Chairperson Thupstan Chhewang officially flagged off the march from NDS Memorial Park. Sonam Wangchuk expressed optimism that by the time they reach New Delhi on October 2, Gandhi Jayanti, the government will have positive news for them.
Seeking global action against climate change
Throughout the march, which spans a distance of 1,000 km over one month, Wangchuk has been engaging with the public, highlighting the severe effects of climate change on Ladakh’s ecologically fragile environment. The march will be crossing Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana to reach its final destination.
Speaking through his Facebook page, he has urged people around the world to adopt climate-friendly and low-carbon lifestyles to help save the planet from further ecological degradation.
