March by men and women from Ladakh stopped on Delhi border

They have been demanding constitutional safeguards for the region

Several men and women from Ladakh who were marching to Delhi to demand constitutional safeguards for the region, were stopped and detained by the police on the Delhi-Haryana border late on Monday.

Prominent climate activist Sonam Wangchuk who was leading the padayatra was detained by the police as the 150-strong contingent from Ladakh reached Singhu border in north Delhi.

The Delhi Chalo Padayatra started from Leh on September 1 and was scheduled to reach Delhi on Monday evening. The march led by Mr. Wangchuk was to culminate at Rajghat on October 2.

Mr. Wangchuk posted on X that he was being detained by the police “along with 150 padayatris...by a police force of 100s some say 1,000.”

He stated that the group included elderly men and women in their 80s and a dozen army veterans.

“Our fate is unknown. We were on a most peaceful march to Bapu’s Samadhi... in the largest democracy in the world, the mother of democracy... Hai Ram!” he posted on X.

Jigmat Paljor, a member of the group, said they had been detained at the Bawana police station

Another group of protesters from Kargil were detained at a community hall nearby in Narela.

Few leaders who were staying at Ladakh Bhavan in central Delhi were also detained.

Sajjad Kargili of the KDA said the Delhi Police had earlier permitted the congregation and it was cancelled on Monday.

“It is deeply unfortunate that we have been denied the right to hold peaceful walk in the capital and stopped at the border. The authorities must not push people to the wall by denying them their fundamental right to protest, especially after snatching away so much from the people of #Ladakh—our employment opportunities, land rights, representation, and more. We have been deceived by the government and this marks yet another betrayal following the events of August 5, 2019. No matter what obstacles we face, we will continue to demand statehood and the Sixth Schedule for Ladakh,” Mr. Kargili said on X.

‘Sensitive atmosphere’

Earlier in the day, the Delhi Police banned the gathering of five or more persons, people carrying banners, placards, arms and or protests in the north and central Delhi and in areas along Delhi border for the next six days. Police said the general atmosphere in Delhi was sensitive from a law and order point of view due to various issues such as the “communal atmosphere in view of the proposed Waqf Amendment Bill, politically surcharged issue of MCD Standing Committee elections, pending declaration of Delhi University Students Union (DUSU) elections, heavy movement of VVIPs on October 2 (birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi), Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana and festival season”

The march by Leh Apex Body (LAB) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), two influential civil society groups in Ladakh, has been organised to demand Statehood, inclusion of Ladakh under the sixth schedule of the constitution (protection of tribal areas), job reservation for locals and two Lok Sabha and one Rajya Sabha seats for the region.

The special status of Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 of the Constitution was revoked by the Parliament on August 5, 2019 and the former State was split into two union territories — Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, the latter without an Assembly. The population of Ladakh is 2.74 lakh, according to 2011 Census.

Published - October 01, 2024 01:15 am IST