LEH: Four months after his first sit-in protest, Sonam Wangchuk will now sit on a ten-day-long Climate Fast to press for the demand of Ladakh’s inclusion into the sixth schedule of the constitution, the renowned social reformist and educationist announced on Wednesday.
Wangchuk made the announcement in a 15-minute video addressed to the fellow countrymen on his YouTube channel, urging the people to support the mission, while seeking legal guidance from lawyers and dissemination of his message from media fraternity.
On May 2, Wangchuk had announced that he will be sitting on another fast and on Wednesday, he confirmed the dates.
“Ten days from now, I will be sitting on a ten-day-long Climate Fast,” said Wangchuk, who had earlier in the month of January this year held a five-day long climate fast demanding the sixth schedule to protect fragile environment of Ladakh, its mountains, glaciers, land, people and culture.
The 6th Schedule of the constitution essentially gives financial and social autonomy to certain regions. The Constitution requires that 50% of a region’s population should be tribal to be included into the sixth schedule. Wangchuk has been heading the protests demanding sixth schedule for Ladakh, which has around 95% of its population as tribals.
Wangchuk said he is compelled to go on the fast, to make New Delhi listen to the genuine demand of the people of Ladakh.
Without naming the Bharatiya Janata Party, Wangchuk said that the ruling party promised sixth schedule to the people of Ladakh twice, but backtracked on its promise.
“Ladakh has been demanding sixth schedule to save its fragile climate, culture and glaciers. Sixth schedule was the first promise in the election manifesto of the ruling party before the 2019 general elections, a year before Ladakh was made a UT. A year after, the ruling party once again promised sixth schedule in its manifesto (for LAHDC elections).
“They made promises, in written, not once but twice. We elected them and did our part but then they backtracked on their promise,” said Wangchuk.
“Now they tell us not to talk about it or even think of it. This is betrayal,” he added.
Arguing that sixth schedule does not restrict development in any way, he said that Ladakh was demanding inclusion in a provision of the Indian Constitution, not the constitution of China or Pakistan.
Wangchuk said that the climate fast was earlier planned for April 26, three months after the first fast, but he didn’t want an internal issue to grab attention when an international event (Y20 Pre-Summit) was being held in Ladakh.
Recalling the January climate fast, Wangchuk said that he hoped that the government would listen to the people of Ladakh.
“But nothing changed, except the Lieutenant Governor. The New LG (Brigadier B D Mishra) is a gentleman, who is connecting with Ladakh and its people, and I hope he does good,” he said.
Wangchuk likened the sixth scheduled promise to a blank cheque which bounced.
“Before the elections, they gave us a blank cheque with sixth schedule written on it. They gave us the cheque and asked for our votes. We elected them, and when we went to encash the cheque, it bounced,” said Wangchuk.
“Bouncing of a cheque is a criminal offence, punishable in the court of law. So, should this government be not accountable, at least morally, to fulfil their promises,” he asked.
Wangchuk said that his earlier video (May 2) was addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the King of India.
“But this video is addressed to the fellow countrymen, who elect the King. I urge you all to support Ladakh, Truth and Environment,” said Wangchuk.
Wangchuk also asked the lawyers’ fraternity to guide them legally and media to disseminate his message to the masses.
The sixth schedule is a special provision provided under Article 244(2) and Article 275(1) of the Constitution, that provides for the administration of tribal areas in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram to safeguard the rights of the tribal population in these states. This provision seeks to do so through the formation of Autonomous District Councils and Regional Councils, armed with certain legislative, judicial, executive and financial powers.
These councils can make laws on certain specified matters like land, forests, canal water, shifting cultivation, village administration, inheritance of property, marriage and divorce, social customs and so on, but having no effect until assented by the Governor of the State. These councils can establish, construct or manage primary schools, dispensaries, markets, cattle ponds, fisheries, roads, road transport and waterways in the respective districts; to form courts to hear cases pertaining to members of Scheduled Tribes with maximum sentence less than 5 years; to levy taxes, fees and tolls on buildings, land, animals, vehicles, boats, entry of goods into the area, roads, ferries, bridges, employment and income and general taxes for the maintenance of schools and roads, and to grant licences or leases for the extraction of minerals within their jurisdiction.
