NEW DELHI, Oct 2: Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk and some 150 other protestors from Ladakh who were released on Tuesday night and were again detained by the Delhi police on Wednesday continued their indefinite fast, saying they find their rights “trampled upon” on Gandhi Jayanti, a day that symbolizes peace and democracy.
Mr Wangchuk was leading ‘Delhi Chalo Padyatra’, which began from Leh on September 1 to Delhi to demand constitutional safeguards for Ladakh, was set to culminate at Rajghat on Wednesday, Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary day. But they were detained on Monday night at the Haryana – Delhi Singhu border. The march was organised by the Leh Apex Body (LAB) in coordination with the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), both of which have been leading an agitation for the past four years.
In a statement issued on Wednesday morning, Jigmat Paljor, Coordinator Apex Body, said their detention, which is continuing for over 24 hours, was illegal. “We, the ‘padyatris’, find ourselves in an alarming situation. We have been detained for over 24 hours. This detention is illegal, as the 24-hour period has elapsed, and we must be produced before a magistrate,” Mr Paljor said.
“Some groups have been released after just under 24 hours, only to be returned to the police station. Last night, the police attempted to forcibly relocate us to an unknown location, but we stood our ground in resistance,” he added. “Our phones have been confiscated at the Bawana Police Station, leaving us cut off from the outside world,” Mr Paljor said in the statement.
Delhi Police, however, said that the ‘padyatris’ were released last night and detained again. Mr Wangchuk and other detained Ladakhis were allowed to go on Tuesday night but they were adamant to march towards the central part of Delhi, therefore, they were detained again, a senior police officer said.
A team of Delhi Police escorted Mr Wangchuk to Rajghat to pay tributes to Mahatma Gandhi on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti before being re-arrested. Mr Wangchuk, along with around 120 others from Ladakh, was detained on Monday (September 30, 2024) night, at the Delhi-Haryana border.
The ‘padyatris’, who started from Leh on September 1, marched all the way, except upon entering poll-bound Haryana where they boarded buses. They were detained at Delhi’s Singhu border on Monday night and taken to different police stations, where they started an indefinite fast.
“Also all the ‘padyatris’ are on ‘anshan’ since 36 hours. Today, October 2nd, the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, we had intended to visit Gandhi Samadhi to pay our respects. Instead, we find our rights trampled upon on a day that symbolizes peace and democracy,” Mr Paljor said. “This situation raises serious concerns about the state of our democracy. We call upon everyone to stand in solidarity with us during this critical time,” he added.
The march was organised by the Leh Apex Body (LAB), which along with the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), has been spearheading an agitation for the past four years to demand statehood for Ladakh, seek its inclusion under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, early recruitment process along with a public service commission for Ladakh and separate Lok Sabha seats for Leh and Kargil districts.
Mr Wangchuk has been kept at the Bawana police station along with a few others while others have been kept at Narela Industrial Area, Alipur and Kanjhawala police stations, he added. Mr Wangchuk and his supporters were detained while marching from Leh Earlier, Ladakh’s Member of Parliament, Mohmad Haneefa, was released by the Delhi police, the MP confirmed. Mr Haneefa was detained by Delhi police on Tuesday.
On October 1, The Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) and Apex Body, Leh had called for a bandh across Ladakh following the detention of Mr Wangchuk and others on Monday night. Shops in Ladakh remained closed as residents demanded Mr Wangchuk’s release and advocate for the sixth schedule to safeguard the region’s rights.
(Manas Dasgupta)