The release of Ladakh climate activist and educationist Sonam Wangchuk, after nearly 36 hours in detention on Wednesday, is a welcome development.
He and his 150 fellow protesters from Ladakh came to New Delhi as part of their Chalo Delhi Padayatra to press for the implementation of their five-point agenda by the Central government. However, they were detained by the Delhi police at the Singhu border on Monday for violating prohibitory orders, which were in force in the national capital, stretching until October 6.
While maintaining law and order is the most important aspect of administration, it is also imperative for the government to uphold the democratic spirit, without which there would be no difference between a colonial government and our own. The government should not use prohibitory orders as an excuse to deny appointments to those representing the people of a particular region.
The Narendra Modi government should eschew its pathological dislike to meet leaders of people’s movements. Previously, it had turned a blind eye to weeks-long protests by farmers in Tamil Nadu and also Punjab. Even if the leaders have an agenda that the ruling party is not comfortable with, the government, being the representative of 140 crore people, must at least lend its ear to the protesters.
The demands of Ladakh protesters are the most basic democratic aspirations that any community might have. They just want constitutional safeguards to protect their land and distinct cultural identity, and they want statehood so that they can govern themselves. If small states like Sikkim and Goa could get statehood, there is no valid reason to deny it to Ladakh.
Even if the government for some reason cannot accord statehood to Ladakh, it had no reason to treat them like criminals. If the government could allow a large number of people into Delhi in view of prohibitory orders, it could have granted an audience to a couple of their representatives and heard them out. The government must remember that national unity cannot be fostered unless each citizen sees a part of themselves in the image of India.
