Year after violent statehood protests, Sonam Wangchuk to lead 20-km march on Sep 23
Sonam Wangchuk Plans 20-Km Ladakh March to Renew Push for Constitutional Protections
Bharatmorning.com – Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk is set to lead a symbolic 20-kilometre march in Ladakh on September 23, reviving calls for statehood and constitutional safeguards for the Union territory. The event comes nearly a year after protests over those demands ended in violence, with four civilians killed in police firing on September 24.
The march is intended to underline demands that Ladakh receive protections aimed at preserving its tribal identity, culture and local interests. Wangchuk’s office has also announced a martyr’s day programme for September 24, the first anniversary of the deaths.
Ladakh’s political and social representatives have continued to seek compensation for the families of those killed, as well as the withdrawal of cases connected to the protest violence. The planned events place those unresolved issues at the centre of the renewed campaign.
Compensation Remains a Point of Dispute
The Ladakh administration announced compensation of ₹15 lakh for each of the four bereaved families and ₹3 lakh for injured people. Wangchuk has publicly objected to the amount, saying it did not offer him satisfaction.
“Looking at this compensation, I do not feel happy. Rather, my head is down with shame,” Wangchuk said last week.
The 59-year-old activist had spent six months in detention under the National Security Act, facing allegations that he had incited violence in Ladakh. Authorities accused him of misleading people through provocative references to protests in the style of the Arab Spring.
His detention was revoked with immediate effect in March. The government cited the need to enable constructive and meaningful engagement among all concerned parties. The move came shortly before the Supreme Court was due to consider a habeas corpus petition challenging his detention under the 1980 law, which permits detention without trial for as long as 12 months.
Wangchuk was taken into custody on September 26, two days after the demonstrations seeking statehood for Ladakh became violent. The Central Bureau of Investigation also began a preliminary inquiry involving an institute founded by Wangchuk.
Previous Agitation Put on Hold
Wangchuk and other Ladakh leaders had recently warned that another protest campaign could take place from September 19 to September 24. That announcement followed talks in Delhi with Union home ministry officials that did not produce an agreement.
The proposed agitation was later withdrawn because of weather conditions. The September 23 march and the following day’s commemoration now provide a more focused way to bring attention back to the demands, while linking the current movement to last year’s fatalities.
For residents and leaders in Ladakh, the debate is not limited to a change in administrative status. It concerns how political representation, cultural protection and local decision-making may operate in a strategically important Himalayan region with a distinctive tribal population.
Why Statehood and Sixth Schedule Status Matter
Ladakh became a Union territory without a legislative assembly in August 2019, after Article 370 of the Constitution was nullified and Jammu and Kashmir’s semi-autonomous status ended. Since then, calls for an elected legislature, statehood and constitutional guarantees have become central demands among many Ladakh groups.
One major demand has been inclusion under the Constitution’s Sixth Schedule. Supporters view such protection as important to safeguarding the region’s tribal character and giving local communities a stronger role in matters affecting their land, culture and governance. The issue has remained a subject of sustained negotiations with the Union government.
In 2023, the Union home ministry formed a committee headed by minister of state Nityanand Rai to examine measures for protecting Ladakh’s culture, language and strategic interests. Even with that process in place, Ladakh representatives have expressed dissatisfaction with the pace of progress.
They have held four rounds of talks with the Union home ministry. On September 10, leaders said the ministry had still not presented a draft framework addressing constitutional protections and an elected system of governance for Ladakh. The absence of a concrete proposal has fed frustration among organisations pressing for a settlement.
Separately, Lieutenant-Governor VK Saxena approved a revenue department notification to establish Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils in all seven districts. The decision adds another element to the region’s evolving governance structure, though it does not settle the larger statehood and constitutional-safeguard demands raised by Ladakh leaders.
A Movement Shaped by Protest and Dialogue
Wangchuk has remained a prominent figure in campaigns focused on Ladakh’s political future. His hunger strike and forcible removal from Delhi’s Jantar Mantar helped energise the Cockroach Janta Party protest movement against paper leaks and examination irregularities, contributing to pressure that led then Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan to resign in July.
The coming march will test whether a symbolic public action can renew momentum after the recent talks failed to produce a breakthrough. Its timing, one day before the anniversary of the police firing, is designed to keep attention on both the loss of life and the continuing demand for a durable constitutional arrangement.
As Ladakh leaders prepare to mark the anniversary, their message remains consistent: they want clearer protections, accountable elected governance and a meaningful response to concerns that have remained unresolved since the region became a Union territory.
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