Sonam Wangchuk demands autonomy for Ladakh, and will resume fasting if top leaders don’t meet him.
New Delhi: Climate activist and innovator Sonam Wangchuk, who along with nearly 150 supporters, was detained by Delhi Police at the Singhu border, as they together, attempted to march to Rajghat to pay tribute to Mahatma Gandhi on October 2, was finally released on Friday. Talking exclusively to The Sunday Guardian, the education reformer said that he would resume the fast if the top leaders, including either the president, prime minister or the home minister do not meet him.
He further said that the government has been failing to keep up to its promises, and asked for the resumption of talks with the local bodies in Ladakh, safeguards under sixth schedule, creation of Public Service Commission for Ladakh and the return of statehood.
Excerpts from the interview –
Q. What has brought you here to New Delhi?
A. To bring the voices of people of Ladakh to Delhi. As an environmentalist also, I want to bring the voices of birds, snow leopards, mountains, trees, glaciers to the capital of India that are crying for some safeguards against the rampant development, modernisation and industrialisation.
Q. You recently said that before coming to Delhi, you informed the higher authorities two weeks back regarding your visit and purpose. But despite this, government has been reluctant to give you time. Why is that?
A. We really don’t know that. It was very surprising and painful for us that despite informing the higher authorities about our visit almost two weeks back, we weren’t given the time.
They (government) seem to be not able to keep their promises and are avoiding us. It’s just like when you borrow money from someone, or if you take a loan, but when the person calls you asking for the money, you deliberately stop picking up his calls.
Q. Who did you contact in New Delhi?
A. We applied to the offices of the president, prime minister and the home minister. But the only response that we are getting is complete silence. We contacted not only through formal channels but also informally, via the Ministry of Home Affairs officials who assured us that the meeting will be arranged with the top leadership. And this was one of the conditions for breaking the fast when we were detained at the border.
When we broke the fast at Jantar Mantar, it was on the condition that we will get an appointment either from the president, prime minister or from the home minister. But what we are getting is complete silence.
Q. What are your main demands?
A. Firstly, we want the Centre to resume the talks with the Leh Apex body and the Kargil Democratic Alliance. Our four demands are restoration of democracy (statehood), safeguards under the constitution’s sixth schedule, early recruitment process along with a Public Service Commission for Ladakh, and separate Lok Sabha seats for Leh and Kargil districts.
For the past five years, there have been no creation of jobs at the officer level in Ladakh and the youth is unemployed. So, for that, we need a PSC for Ladakh so that people from here can work in their own region for the betterment of the society and its environment.
Q. What will be your next move?
A. To meet the central leadership and if we are not given the time, then we’ll resume the fast.
Q. What sort of developments have taken place in Ladakh in the last five years?
A. Firstly, Ladakhis do not care much about development, as it is the development that destroys nature and its ecosystem. There should be a development which should be accepted by all and which poses no threats to the environment and the local habitat.
Secondly, we don’t have any representatives of our own as Ladakh is being ruled by the LG (lieutenant governor) who comes from a parachute to Ladakh, is completely unaware of the region and takes two years to understand the region while the remaining one year is left for packing and then the cycles repeats.
Q. Did you ever contact the LG? What was his response?
A. Initially, there were healthy interactions and I helped them a lot. But the fact of the matter is that they don’t have a response, they just take instructions.
Q. Will you be taking to the political leaders?
A. We are getting a good response from several sections, including the political leaders. We will contact the Leader of Opposition and the other opposition leaders but our first aim is to get an appointment with the current central leadership.