Ladakh Not To Allow Climate Activist Sonam Wangchuk’s March to Tibet Border

Srinagar: In view of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk’s march to border along China, the Ladakh administration imposed restrictions in Leh and its neighbourhood under Section 144 of the CrPC to prevent “any breach of peace, disturbance to public tranquillity and danger to human life.”

Reacting to the developments, Wangchuk took to social media platform X, said, “PEACEFUL LADAKH IS VERY CONFUSED! After 31 days of extremely peaceful prayers & fasts... Suddenly peace initiatives of the administration sounds more dangerous than anything ! PEACE AT ANY COST.” (sic)

The decision comes days after Wangchuk announced that he will on April 7 lead around 10,000 people from Ladakh in a march to the border along China to showcase how much land has been lost to the neighbouring country. Wangchuk who ended a 21-day hunger strike on March 26 had also announced that the agitation to demand statehood for Ladakh will be intensified in coming weeks.

Leh’s district magistrate Santosh Sukhadeve in an order issued on Friday said that the district’s SSP has in a letter reported to him that there are reliable inputs of apprehension of breach of peace and public tranquillity in the district, and exercising the powers vested in him under Section 144 of the CrPC, 1973, he declared that no procession, rally or march shall be taken out by anyone without his prior approval.

The magistrate also banned the use of vehicles mounted or other loudspeakers and holding of any public gathering in the district without prior approval of the competent authority. Meanwhile, Wangchuk said that people including women are being threatened and called to the police station to pressurise them against extending any support to him. “I hope what is being said and done is just a misunderstanding which will go away but if it escalates it would prove that India is becoming a banana republic or andher nagri (a place doomed to go down in darkness) where reminding promises is a crime and breaking them is not.”

He added, “If you remind them of their promises, it becomes a crime, and they respond by rounding you up.” He, however, hoped that the situation will change for better and that thousands of people who are relocating to Leh from the countryside to join the “peaceful march” will not be stopped.

Meanwhile, Ladakh’s additional director general of police Darshan Singh has ordered for suspending the mobile data of 3G, 4G and 5G and public Wi-Fi 5G facilities temporarily “in the interest of maintenance of public peace, and law and order” in the Union Territory.

Therefore, the speed of the internet and mobile data services have been scaled down to 2G in Leh city (within the 10 km radius) for 24 hours.