Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk and 150 other protestors from Ladakh who are under detention on Wednesday continued their indefinite fast, saying they find their rights trampled upon on Gandhi Jayanti, a day that symbolizes peace and democracy.
The climate activist was leading ‘Delhi Chalo Padyatra’, which began from Leh a month ago. They were detained on Monday night.
Jigmat Paljor, Coordinator Apex Body, said their detention, which is continuing for over 24 hours, is illegal.
“We, the ‘padyatris’, find ourselves in an alarming situation. We have been detained for over 24 hours. This detention is illegal, as the 24-hour period has elapsed, and we must be produced before a magistrate,” Paljor said in a statement released on Wednesday morning.
He added that some groups have been released after just under 24 hours, only to be returned to the police station. “Last night, the police attempted to forcibly relocate us to an unknown location, but we stood our ground in resistance,” he said.
He further said that their phones were confiscated at the Bawana Police Station, leaving them cut off from the outside world. Delhi Police, however, said that the ‘padyatris’ were released last night and detained again.
A senior police officer told PTI that Wangchuk and other detained Ladakhis were allowed to go on Tuesday night but they were adamant to march towards the central part of Delhi, therefore, they were detained again.
The “padyatris” started their journey from Leh on September 1 and marched all the way, except when they entered poll-bound Haryana, where they boarded buses. They were detained at Delhi’s Singhu border on Monday night and taken to different police stations, where they began an indefinite fast.
“All the ‘padyatris’ have been on ‘anshan’ for 36 hours. Today, October 2nd, on the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, we had planned to visit Gandhi Samadhi to pay our respects. Instead, we find our rights trampled upon on a day that symbolizes peace and democracy,” Paljor said.
“This situation raises serious concerns about the state of our democracy. We call upon everyone to stand in solidarity with us during this critical time,” he added.
The march was organised by the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), which have been leading an agitation for the past four years to demand statehood for Ladakh, its inclusion under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, an early recruitment process, the establishment of a Public Service Commission for Ladakh, and separate Lok Sabha seats for Leh and Kargil districts.
Wangchuk has been held at the Bawana police station along with a few others, while others have been detained at Narela Industrial Area, Alipur, and Kanjhawala police stations, he added.