Is Sonam Wangchuk’s protest over Sixth Schedule for Ladakh ‘politically aligned’? Here’s what he told WION

Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, who has emerged as the voice of the people of Ladakh, expressed his determination to stay away from politics as he pushed ahead with his demand for the region’s inclusion in the Sixth Schedule with his indefinite hunger strike on Sunday (Oct 6) in the national capital.

With Wangchuk emerging as a strong representative of Ladakh – a sparsely populated union territory of India – he is known to have been receiving invitations to join from various political parties across the nation.

Recently, when he was detained at the Singhu border by the police as he led the ‘Delhi Chalo Padayatra’, Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party leader Atishi had tried to meet Wangchuk but was unable to do so. 

Speaking exclusively to WION, Wangchuk – who is not new to politics – said that he would like to steer away from any political party.

“If I wanted to join a political party, I would have done so in the last 30 years. So, if I have not joined any political party yet, why would I do so now?” he said.

Wangchuk’s father Sonam Wangyal was a Congress leader and later also became a minister in the Jammu and Kashmir state government. 

However, Wangchuk said that he does not want to side with any political party and that all the parties should support this “just demand” of Ladakh.

“I want every political party to support us, including the BJP. The political parties should support this very fair and just demand of the people of Ladakh. However, we do not want to side with any one political party,” the activist said while speaking to WION. 

Wangchuk said that through this agitation they only want to resume the broken talks with the government regarding their four-point agenda – which clearly demands Ladakh’s statehood, its inclusion in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, separate Lok Sabha seats for Leh and Kargil districts and a public service commission for Ladakh.

Speaking about why Ladakh needs to be included in the Sixth Schedule to WION, Wangchuk said, “It gives democracy at the grassroot level in regions that have a high percentage of indigenous tribal population. Ladakh has more than 90 per cent indigenous population. With the inclusion of the region in the Sixth Schedule, Ladakh will have autonomous district councils where the local people’s representatives can make laws regarding their own customs, land, forests and so on. This, I think, will be the best way to safeguard the fragile ecology of the region.”

The Sixth Schedule, which falls under Article 244, provides for the formation of Autonomous District Councils (ADCs) that enjoy some administrative, judicial, and legislative autonomy in the state. 

Almost 30 members constitute these ADCs and serve a tenure of five years during which they are free to make rules, laws and regulations regarding agriculture, water, forest, health, sanitation, land, village councils, social customs, marriage and divorce, inheritance, town- and village-level policing, mining, etc.

Sonam Wangchuk was known for his education reforms and innovations in the tough terrains of Ladakh. However, he shot to fame when Bollywood actor Aamir Khan played the role of Phunsukh Wangdu in the movie 3 Idiots based on him.