Sonam Wangchuk leads 'Delhi Chalo' march from Leh in support of Ladakh's 4-point agenda

Led by Sonam Wangchuk, over 100 volunteers begin Delhi chalo padyatra/ Screengrab

On Sunday, over 100 volunteers, led by famous inventor and climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, began a foot march from Leh to Delhi, pressing the Central government to continue stalled conversations with Ladakh's leadership on a four-point agenda. The 'Delhi Chalo Padyatra' was organised by the Leh Apex Body (LAB), which, along with the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), has been fighting for Ladakh's rights for the past four years.

The demands include statehood for Ladakh, an expansion of the Constitution's Sixth Schedule, the establishment of an early recruitment process and a public service commission for Ladakh, and separate Lok Sabha seats for Leh and Kargil. Previous negotiations between Ladakh leaders and the central government ended in March with no settlement, reported PTI.

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According to the report, the march began at the NDS Memorial Park in Leh, hailed off by LAB chairman Thupstan Chhewang, amid cries of "Bharat Mata Ki Jai" and calls for the Sixth Schedule. Wangchuk expressed hope that the government would address their concerns by the time they arrived in Delhi on October 2, which coincided with Gandhi Jayanti.

Reportedly, Wangchuk underlined the significance of the Sixth Schedule and a Union Territory with its own assembly for Ladakh, describing it as a democratic right that reflects the region's ambitions. He emphasised that this is a people's movement and that Ladakhis are willing to risk their lives for the country, especially considering the region's strategic location near Pakistan and China.

"It is a matter of satisfaction that people from all sections of the society, including elders, women and youngsters, have joined this march in support of our demands…The Sixth Schedule of the Constitution and UT with the legislature is our democratic right as we want development and management of the region per our wishes and aspirations," said Wangchuk.

"We are sharing borders with Pakistan and China who may be boasting of their technology but I want to tell my country that Indians should be proud of the people of Ladakh who are ready to sacrifice their lives for the nation," he added.

According to the report, Wangchuk further expressed hope that more people would join the march to Delhi through Himachal Pradesh. He mentioned that even a 90-year-old Ladakhi citizen living in Switzerland was willing to support the cause in Delhi.

"This is another phase of our struggle," Chhewang told PTI adding that while the KDA did not initially join the march, they are anticipated to join when it moves closer to Delhi/

Tsering Dorjey, an old participant, stated his commitment to participate in the march despite his health constraints, saying, "I will try to be part of the march as long as I can." Dorjey noted that the march was meant to underline the gravity of their demands.