After the long seize of Delhi by the farmers, fresh trouble appears to be brewing for the BJP government as celebrated activist Sonam Wangchuk is posing a challenge in the form of his fast in favour of his demands related to Ladakh’s ecology.

Importantly, his protest is generating interest among media outlets who are drawing parallels between him and “ Funsuk Wangdu” of Amir Khan movie 3 idiots. The claims of disturbing the ecology by massive infrastructure drive by Modi government in the region is being taken serious by various sections concerned about the Himalayas while many on social media are questioning the motive of Wangchuck and comparing how China has developed infrastructure around their side of the area which has not done anything wrong to the ecology.

The fresh trigger was his detention after he reached Delhi and started his fast and protest outside Ladakh Bhawan. He along with 170 other protestors were detained by Police and were released later.

Congress party was quick to grab the issue coming its way and party condemned his detention. LOP Rahul Gandhi took to micro blogging site X and posted “ The detention of Sonam Wangchuk ji and hundreds of Ladakhis peacefully marching for environmental and constitutional rights is unacceptable. Why are elderly citizens being detained at Delhi’s border for standing up for Ladakh’s future? Modi ji, like with the farmers, this ‘Chakravyuh’ will be broken, and so will your arrogance. You will have to listen to Ladakh’s voice.”

After being free from detention, he is back to his protest and is garnering support from all quarters.

All India Kisan Sabha- Lending support

Leaders of the All India Kisan Sabha have met with Sonam Wangchuk and other activists who are on a hunger strike, offering their support. They expressed concern that Ladakh is being treated like a colony, with bureaucrats from outside dictating policies in this ecologically sensitive area.

What are his demands ?

Apart from other demands , one of his significant demands, which can be said to be the fulcrum of his protest is the demand of including Ladakh in the sixth schedule of constitution.

It is being claimed that the BJP leaders in the region had made positive commitments regarding this but till now nothing has happened on this front.

Notably, Ladakh which was a part of J& K before the abrogation of article 370 was severed from J& K in 2019. The region is home to picturesque mountains and some unique lakes. It is a tourist attraction with travellers across the globe.

What is sixth schedule of constitution ?

The Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution provides for the governance of tribal areas in the northeastern states of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram. It creates autonomous councils that possess legislative, judicial, executive, and financial powers, allowing them to manage these regions independently.

The main aim of the Sixth Schedule is to safeguard the interests of the tribal communities in these states through self-governance. In total, there are 10 autonomous councils established under this schedule: three each in Assam, Meghalaya, and Mizoram, and one in Tripura.

Why does Wangchuk presses for inclusion of Ladakh in 6th schedule ?

Since the sixth schedule focuses on governing tribal areas in certain northeastern states, such as Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram, by creating "autonomous districts and regions" to protect the rights of indigenous people. Wangchuk aims to achieve similar protections for Ladakh.