Mr Wangchuk, 56, began his five-day fast on Thursday at Phyang in Leh.
New Delhi:
Top Ladakh-based environmentalist Sonam Wangchuk today alleged that she has been detained by the Union Territory administration following her fast to demand special status for Leh. However, the authorities denied any detention. Wangchuk said yesterday that the administration wanted to “silence” him for protesting against sustainable development and the destruction of the region’s ecology.
The Union Territory Administration said it wanted to hold a protest at Khardung La, which was denied permission.
The Ladakh administration wants Mr. Wangchuk to sign a bond promising not to make any statements for a month on the recent events in Leh. The bond states that he is not to attend any public meeting for a month regarding the recent developments in Leh.
Mr Wangchuk, 56, began his five-day fast on Thursday at Leh’s Phyang, where the night temperature was minus 20 degrees Celsius. He had earlier alleged that he was kept under house arrest.
He also tweeted a copy of his claim, which he was asked to sign to ensure that he would not make any statements or attend public meetings for a month.
“I am under house arrest. In fact, worse. If you are under house arrest, you clearly know the rules, and you can also find legal ways to combat it. being kept.” And my movement is restricted,” Mr Wangchuk, wrapped in a blanket amid snow-capped mountains, told NDTV in a video statement.
He co-founded the Himalayan Institute of Alternative Ladakh, or HIAL, the foundation of which he has been fasting. Mr Wangchuk had planned his fast at the Khardung La Pass, where the temperature could drop to minus 40 degrees Celsius. They alleged that the administration was trying to prevent them from reaching the Khardung La pass.
Calling for preventive steps, he has said that unsustainable industry, tourism and commerce will continue to flourish in Ladakh and eventually deplete the region.
They have also asked the government to include the region in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, which allows administration of certain tribal areas as autonomous entities.
Sonam Wangchuk’s life inspired Bollywood actor Aamir Khan’s character in the 2009 film 3 Idiots. He also received the Magsaysay Award in 2018.