Sonam Wangchuk has appealed for public participation in a five-day march in Ladakh from September 19 to 24, saying recent talks with the Union Home Ministry produced no fresh assurance on restoring the region’s democratic decision-making framework. The environmental activist said the march could become a larger national protest if the government does not respond within a week.
Wangchuk made the appeal in a video addressed to supporters of the Cockroach Janata Party, referring to the 26-day hunger strike associated with the party’s Jantar Mantar movement. He recalled spending several weeks fasting at the Delhi protest site and asked supporters to join the proposed Ladakh march or confirm their participation online.
The mobilisation is linked to demands concerning Ladakh’s democratic structure and the protection of its culture, land and natural environment. Wangchuk said he had travelled to Delhi for discussions with the Union Home Ministry, but described the meeting as producing no new step. According to his account, the only positive aspect was the tea served during the meeting.
Wangchuk said earlier decisions, including a proposal to establish a legislative assembly in Ladakh and transfer full administration to it, were being undermined. He also said he had sought an assurance that the Lieutenant Governor’s administration would not take major decisions until a democratic structure was restored in the Union Territory. He said no such assurance had been received.
In his video, Wangchuk said the proposed march would be held in memory of people who had died for Ladakh. He said it would remain a commemorative march if the government provided the requested assurance within a week, but could turn into a larger protest on behalf of people across India if no response came.
The activist framed the issue as extending beyond Ladakh’s internal administration. He said the Himalayan region was important because it contributes to the water and clean air available to people elsewhere, and because its residents had helped defend the country without uniforms or salaries during wars. His remarks linked the political demand for local decision-making with wider concerns over the protection of Ladakh’s ecology and cultural landscape.
Abhijeet Dipke, identified in the report as the head of the Cockroach Janata Party, responded to Wangchuk’s appeal by sharing the video and writing, “Stand with Ladakh.” The response did not clarify whether Dipke or members of his team would participate in the five-day march. At the time of the report, party leaders Saurabh Das and Ashutosh Ranka had not publicly responded.
Wangchuk’s appeal followed a period of mobilisation around Ladakh’s political representation and the powers of its administration. The immediate next step identified in his statement is the proposed march from September 19 to 24, with its final form dependent on whether the government provides the requested assurance within the stated one-week period.
