Planning border march to highlight ground reality in Ladakh: Sonam Wangchuk

Leh: On hunger strike for the past two weeks in support of statehood and constitutional safeguards under sixth schedule for the Union Territory of Ladakh, climate activist Sonam Wangchuk on Tuesday said they are planning a border march soon to highlight the "ground reality" to the outside world.

Wangchuk, a renowned education reformist, has been on ‘climate fast’ here since March 6, a day after talks between the joint representatives of Leh-based Apex body and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) heading an agitation in support of four-point demands and the Central government hit a deadlock.

On the beginning of day 14 of his ‘climate fast’, Wangchuk took to X and said that 250 people slept hungry in minus 12 degrees Celsius to safeguard Ladakh's land, environment and tribal indigenous culture.

“Our nomads are losing prime pasture land to huge Indian industrial plants to the south & Chinese encroachment to the north. To show the ground reality we're planning a Border March of 10,000 Ladakhi shepherds & farmers soon,” he announced.

The KDA has called half-day general strike and a rally in Kargil town on March 20 as part of the ongoing agitation.