Section 144 Imposed In Leh Ahead of Sonam Wangchuk's Border March

BY A STAFF REPORTER: A day before Border March, section 144 of the CrPC was imposed in the Union Territory of Leh, Ladakh on April 6, Saturday. 

Gathering of four or more people has been prohibited in the region to maintain public peace. Climate Activist Sonam Wangchuk is set to head a border march on the border regions of India and China on April 7 to protest the alleged encroachment on the grazing lands by Indian corporations and Chinese Forces.

Ramon Magsaysay awardee Sonam Wangchuk staged a hunger strike for 21 days which ended on March 25. However, the women of Ladakh also staged a hunger strike for 10 days subsequently. The fasting individuals demand statehood for the UT of Ladakh and call for Ladakh's inclusion in the 6th Schedule of the Indian Constitution outlines the establishment of an Autonomous District Council which aims to safeguard the rights of the Tribal population in Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram, and Assam. Their demands also include measures to protect Ladakh's delicate ecosystem. Moreover, Sonam Wangchuk is spreading awareness about the severe environmental impact of several developmental projects on Ladakh's natural resources and ecosystem. Along with this, Wangchuk's demands include separate parliamentary seats for Leh and Kargil districts and a separate Public Service Commission for Ladakh.