Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk and the Leh Apex Body on Wednesday announced a fresh 35-day hunger strike in Leh, demanding statehood for Ladakh and its inclusion under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, PTI reported.

During a press conference, Wangchuk said the Union Home Ministry had not convened any meetings with representatives from Ladakh in the last two months, even as “talks had reached a point where discussions about the main demands were going to start”.

The activist said they are being forced to intensify the movement as the Hill Council elections in Leh are due to be held soon.

He added that the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Union government had promised during the 2020 Hill Council election that Ladakh would be included under the Sixth Schedule.

The promise had figured among the top three agendas of the BJP’s election manifesto for the border region.

The Sixth Schedule under Article 244 (Administration of Scheduled Areas and Tribal Areas) of the Constitution guarantees certain protections for land and a nominal autonomy for citizens in designated tribal areas. In Ladakh, more than 97% of the population belongs to the Scheduled Tribes.

On August 5, 2019, the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Union government rescinded the special status of Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 of the Constitution and bifurcated the state into the Union territories of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.

This, along with the lack of a legislature in Ladakh, has led to increasing insecurities among the residents of the Union Territory about their land, nature, resources and livelihoods and stoked fears that the region’s cultural identity and fragile ecosystem may be in jeopardy.

Wanchuk has held several protests demanding constitutional safeguardss for Ladakh, including a 21-day hunger strike ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

In August, Wangchuk and Ladakh MP Mohmad Haneefa Jan participated in a protest rally concluding a three-day hunger strike, alleging delays in dialogue with the Union government, The Times of India reported.

The last round of talks was held on May 27, following which the Centre announced a new domicile and job reservation policy for the Union Territory in June.

Under the new rules, only a person who has resided in Ladakh for a period of 15 years since its formation as a Union Territory on October 31, 2019, shall be eligible to be a domicile.

A person who has studied for a period of seven years – from October 31, 2019 – and written Class 10 or Class 12 examinations in an educational institution located in the Union Territory of Ladakh, also qualifies to be a domicile. The domicile rule, however, would be “valid only for the purpose of appointment to the posts under the Union territory of Ladakh as defined in Ladakh Civil Services Decentralization and Recruitment”.

The Centre had also brought in an ordinance to amend the reservation policy.

According to the ordinance, 85% of jobs and admissions in professional educational institutions in Ladakh shall be reserved for residents of the Union Territory.

However, the Ladakhi leadership had called it only a “first step” and a “breakthrough” in reaching a resolution.

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