Over two months after maintaining silence due to Lok Sabha elections, climate activist Sonam Wangchuk on Sunday warned to revive his suspended fast on Independence Day.
Wangchuk announced that he would begin a 28-day fast on Independence Day in case the government failed to restart discussions with the Ladakh authorities regarding the demand of granting statehood and constitutional protection for the Union Territory.
"We didn't want to pressure the government too much during the elections; we were hopeful the new government would take concrete steps. If they ignore our request and don't call us for talks, we'll begin another protest on August 15," a news agency reported while quoting Wangchuk.
Wangchuk revealed that the Apex Body, Leh (ABL), and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) from Ladakh handed over a memorandum of demands to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Dras for the 25th anniversary of Kargil Vijay Diwas last week.
IT'S A COMMA, NOT A FULL STOP.
— Sonam Wangchuk (@Wangchuk66) May 10, 2024
LADAKH'S #CLIMATEFAST SUSPENDED as planned,
since Ladakh goes to polls this 20th May.
We'll reconvene after a new Govt is formed early June.
We hope not, but if needed I'll be sitting on another 21 days fast along with thousands of youth to push… pic.twitter.com/IwHTLlnc8t
Wangchuk suspended his fast on May 10
In view of the Lok Sabha elections, Sonam Wanchuk had suspended his fast on May 10.
After suspending the agitation, Wangchuk said that this temporary suspension was a comma and not a full stop.
"A total of seventy thousand people have come here to extend their support to our struggle over the last two months," Wangchuk had stated.
"This (temporary suspension) is not the end. This is not the full stop. This is a comma. We have decided to halt the fast in view of May 20 elections in Ladakh. We don't want to impact the election in any way," Wangchuk said.
"This halt is only till a new government is elected in New Delhi. A decision on the future course of Climate Fast will be taken after the election results on June 4. Hopefully, the new government will fulfill the demands of Ladakh, else we will have to resume our fast," he said.
Wanchuk had started his climate fast on March 6.
Wangchuk had commenced his climate fast on March 6 in support of the Leh Apex Body and the Kargil Democratic Alliance, demanding Ladakh's inclusion into the 6th schedule and grant of Statehood to the union territory, after their talks with MHA officials and union Home Ministry failed to yield any positive outcome.
Wangchuk's 21-day-long hunger strike ended on March 26, but the climate fast continued with chain hunger strikes by women, youths, religious leaders, and elders across the Union Territory.
The meeting with the representatives of Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) on March 4 ended with a deadlock.
A sub-committee constituted by the Ministry of Home Affairs refused to accept two key demands—Statehood to Ladakh and the region's inclusion in the Sixth Schedule of Constitution, of the people of Ladakh
This was the fourth round of talks between MHA and Ladakh leaders. Two sides have had three rounds of dialogue so far—on December 4, 2023, and February 19 and February 24 this year.
On February 3 this year, a complete shutdown was also observed across Ladakh as thousands of protestors marched demanding statehood and constitutional protections under the sixth schedule for the Union Territory.
