Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk Tuesday ended his fast in Leh, after surviving on water and salt for the last 21 days. Wangchuk, who has been seeking protections for the fragile ecology and the indigenous culture of Ladakh, said in a video message, “We do not want to think of Modi ji and Amit Shah ji as just politicians, we would rather like to think of them as statesmen. But, for that, they will have to show some character and farsightedness.” Wangchuk had been joined by hundreds in Leh as he slept outdoors over the last three weeks. He also urged people to “use their ballot power very carefully this time, in the interest of the nation”. Ladakh has witnessed several protests over the last four years since it was carved out as a Union Territory, separating it from the former state of Jammu and Kashmir. A high-powered committee with members from both Leh and Kargil regions was formed last year to hold deliberations with the Ministry of Home Affairs over their concerns regarding statehood, protections included in the sixth schedule of the Constitution, as well as issues of political representation. However, these talks reached an impasse over these two key issues on March 4 and Wangchuk began his fast on March 6. Wangchuk’s fast has been supported by various socio-political bodies in Ladakh, including the Kargil Democratic Alliance. Members of the KDA are also on hunger strike in Kargil and their strike entered day 3 on Tuesday. In an earlier video, Wangchuk had said that his climate fast is an opportunity to remind the Government of India of their promise to “safeguard and protect the fragile land of the Himalayas and to restore democracy”. This, he said, was in context of nomadic tribes from Ladakh losing grazing land at the India-China border. “On one side, they are losing land to Indian corporates… roughly 150,000 square kilometres of prime pasture land. And on the other hand, they are losing pasture land to China, which is encroaching from the North, who have captured huge chunks of Indian land in the last five years.” He also called for a border march for an “on-ground check” of this encroachment, likely on March 27. “10,000 Ladakhis people will March to the borders,” he said on day 14 of his fast. Wangchuk added that the nomadic leaders, who he will march with, “will show us how far they used to go grazing earlier and now where they have to stop”. However, it is not clear so far whether they will be allowed to march to the India-China border. The other possible date for the march is April 7.
