The Himalaya Niti Abhiyan (HNA) President Kulbhushan Upmanyu and Coordinator Guman Singh have expressed their support for the non-violent movement ongoing in Ladakh for the past five years.
The legitimate demands of the people engaged in this peaceful movement have been unjustly delayed for several years, and due to the deteriorating health of those participating in recent hunger strikes, some youths have, out of frustration, resorted to unfortunate incidents. We appreciate Sonam Wangchuk’s appeal to stop violence in Ladakh and urge the youth to heed his call to keep the movement peaceful.
We condemn the local administration and the Central Government for their negligent approach, which has worsened a logically resolvable issue through dialogue. It is the government’s duty to ensure that a non-violent movement is not allowed to turn violent due to prolonged delays.
The movement of the people of Ladakh to fulfill their democratic aspirations, including inclusion of the region in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, ensuring employment opportunities, and restoring a system of people’s representation in Ladakh, is just. The agitating people of Ladakh, under the leadership of Sonam Wangchuk, undertook a month-long foot march from Ladakh to Delhi last year to voice their demands. Why is there a repeated need for such movements?
It is evident that the government is failing to establish dialogue with the people of Ladakh, forcing them to repeatedly resort to agitation. The government’s actions against Sonam Wangchuk, including the use of investigative agencies and attempts to reclaim land allocated to his university, are condemnable.
We demand that the government immediately engage in discussions with the struggling people of Ladakh to find a suitable resolution in the interest of both Ladakh and the nation, addressing all four demands of the movement.
Key Demands of the Movement:
- Grant full statehood to Ladakh.
- Include Ladakh in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution to strengthen the local decision-making role over resources.
- Allocate two Lok Sabha seats to Ladakh.
- Prioritize employment opportunities for local residents.
These demands are justified. In the national interest, the Central Government must not allow a sentiment to grow in this border region that their voices are unheard. The people of Ladakh have always been committed to national security. Empowering them with democratic rights will only contribute to the nation’s welfare. We strongly condemn incidents like gunfire and demand that immediate peace efforts be activated to restore calm and ensure the people’s voices are heard.
The people are apprehensive about the unscientific exploitation of local resources and greedy practices. The extraction of solar energy and rare earth minerals falling into the hands of large capitalist companies risks overexploitation and harm to the local environment and economic interests due to a lack of local control. Decisions must be made through mutual understanding in the interest of Ladakh and the nation. Protecting Ladakh’s environment and glaciers is the greatest national interest.
In this era of climate change, with the entire Western Himalayas already affected by natural disasters, there is a pressing need to listen to Ladakh’s voice seriously. The government’s negligence in resolving the issues of this sensitive region, surrounded by two adversarial neighbors, could have grave consequences for the nation. The Himalaya Niti Abhiyan urges the government to take the concerns of Ladakh’s people seriously and resolve these issues promptly.
Press Release by
Kulbhushan Upmanyu
President, Himalaya Niti Abhiyan
Guman Singh
Coordinator, Himalaya Niti Abhiyan
