Sonam Wangchuk detained at Singhu border: Here is why the climate activist is marching to Delhi
The 58-year-old was leading the 'Delhi Chalo Padyatra', which was organised by the Leh Apex Body (LAB), demanding Sixth Schedule status for the Union Territory of Ladakh. The march started from Leh on 1st September and was scheduled to reach Delhi on Monday evening.
Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Tuesday said that the detention of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk and around 120 others from Ladakh was unacceptable. "The detention of Sonam Wangchuk ji and hundreds of Ladakhis peacefully marching for environmental and constitutional rights is unacceptable. Modi ji, like with the farmers, this 'Chakravyuh' will be broken, and so will your arrogance. You will have to listen to Ladakh's voice," Rahul Gandhi said in a post on X.
The detention of Sonam Wangchuk ji and hundreds of Ladakhis peacefully marching for environmental and constitutional rights is unacceptable.
¡ª Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) September 30, 2024
Why are elderly citizens being detained at Delhi¡¯s border for standing up for Ladakh¡¯s future?
Modi ji, like with the farmers, this¡
Sonam Wangchuk detained at Delhi border
Wangchuk, along with his supporters, was detained by the Delhi Police at the national capital's border on Monday night. Wangchuk and others wanted to spend the night at the border. They were initially requested to go back as prohibitory orders were imposed in Delhi, but when they did not stop, the policemen who were already deployed at the border detained about 120 men, including Wangchuk.
CREDIT: ANI
Delhi Chalo Padyatra
The 58-year-old was leading the 'Delhi Chalo Padyatra', which was organised by the Leh Apex Body (LAB), demanding Sixth Schedule status for the Union Territory of Ladakh. The march started from Leh on 1st September and was scheduled to reach Delhi on Monday evening. In the month-long march, the activists covered a distance of over 730 km on foot, walking around 25 km every day.
CREDIT: ANI
What are their demands
They were planning to hold a sit-in demonstration in Delhi to press for Ladakh to be included in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, which would grant law-making powers to the local population to protect their land and cultural identity.
What Sonam Wangchuk said
"I AM BEING DETAINED... along with 150 padyatris at the Delhi Border, by a police force of hundreds, some say 1,000. Many elderly men and women in their 80s and a few dozen Army veterans... Our fate is unknown. We were on the most peaceful march to Bapu's Samadhi... in the largest democracy in the world, the mother of democracy... Hai Ram!" Wangchuk said in a social media post before he was detained.
I AM BEING DETAINED...
¡ª Sonam Wangchuk (@Wangchuk66) September 30, 2024
along with 150 padyatris
at Delhi Border, by a police force of 100s some say 1,000.
Many elderly men & women in their 80s and few dozen Army veterans...
Our fate is unknown.
We were on a most peaceful march to Bapu¡¯s Samadhi... in the largest democracy¡ pic.twitter.com/iPZOJE5uuM
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Bobins Abraham is the Assistant News Editor at Indiatimes. He has more than twelve years of experience in TV and digital journalism. An avid student of history and geopolitics, he is a conservationist and environmentalist at heart. He writes on environment, sustainability, human-animal conflict and more.
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