A petition has been filed before the Delhi High Court seeking release of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk and others, who were detained at Delhi’s Singhu border on Monday night reports Bar and Bench..The environmental activist, Wangchuk and others have been on a foot march from Leh to Delhi to demand Sixth Schedule for Ladakh, which was carved out of the erstwhile state of Jammu & Kashmir as a Union Territory in 2019.
The sixth Schedule to the Constitution provides for implementation of specific measures to have an autonomous administration in tribal areas to protect the rights and identity of locals. At present, it is applicable only to Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram in northeast India. Few months ago, Wangchuk had been on a prolonged hunger strike to press for his demands which also include environmental protection in Ladakh. Last month, Wangchuk and others began the foot march to national capital.
In a questionable late night operation, before either he and other activists could enter the national capital, Delhi Police detained them. The foot march was scheduled to end at Rajghat on Gandhi Jayanti to mark the birth anniversary of the father of the nation on October 2.
Late last night, at 10.30 a.m. here is what Sonam Wangchuk said on X (formerly twitter):
I AM BEING DETAINED…
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— Sonam Wangchuk (@Wangchuk66) September 30, 2024
“I am being detained..along with 150 padyatris at Delhi Border, by a police force of 100s, some say 1,000. Many elderly men and women in their 80s and some Army veterans…Our fate is unknown. We were on a most peaceful march to Bapuy’s Samadhi..in the largest democracy in the world, the mother of democracy…Hey Ram.”
Echoing Gandhi’s last words as he was felled by the bullets of assassin Nathuram Godse, Wangchuk’s arrest has drawn widespread condemnation on social media. The legacy print media have played it down, however.
The petition for their release was mentioned before the Bench of Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela by advocate Vikram Hegde. However, an urgent hearing of the plea was declined. It is now likely to come up for hearing on October 3.
Apart from seeking the release of Wangchuk and others, the plea has also sought directions for permitting the activists to enter Delhi “for the purpose of raising their demands peacefully”.
“Permit the group of persons, including senior citizens, led by Mr Sonam Wangchuk to assemble peacefully in a designated area,” the plea states.
The advocate who filed it is Mustafa Haji, who has stated that he has been closely involved with the movement for environmental protection and democratic representation in Ladakh. “A group of about 150 persons started on a foot march (pad yatra) from Leh to Delhi on 01.09.2024. The purpose of their march is to make a representation to the Union Government in Delhi on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti, inter alia seeking environmental protection, sixth schedule status for Ladakh, Statehood and greater democratic representation,” the plea states.
Incidentally, as news of the peaceful march picked up on social media the Delhi police was quick to act, repressing freedoms. The prohibitory order issued by Delhi Police on September 30 against assembly of five or more persons has also been challenged in the plea.
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