Excelsior Correspondent
LEH, Mar 24: Tarun Uppal, Chairperson of the Nirbhay Bharat Foundation, accompanied by Kalpana Inamdar, Working President of the Rashtriya Lokandolan Nyas led by renowned activist KB alias Anna Hazare, and former leader Pt Shekhar Dixit, today visited environment activist Sonam Wangchuk at the protest site in Leh.
The trio expressed solidarity with Wangchuk for Ladakh’s statehood restoration, which they deem as a fundamental Constitutional right.
Notably, Sonam Wangchuk is on his 19th day of hunger strike, seeking restoration of statehood to Ladakh and inclusion of the region in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.
The delegation expressed concern for Wangchuk’s well-being and pledged their support for his environmental conservation campaign.
Tarun Uppal articulated their demands, with a focus on safeguarding Ladakhi farmers and nomads who are grappling with challenges such as losing access to vital pasture lands due to industrial expansion in the south and Chinese encroachment in the north.
Uppal, hailing from Jammu, underscored that treating Jammu and Kashmir, along with Ladakh, as a single centrally managed entity deprives people of their democratic rights, constituting an affront to the Constitution.
He hinted at the possibility of extending the movement nationwide to raise public awareness if necessary.
Kalpana stressed the importance of prioritizing the nation’s best interests in Governmental actions, irrespective of the ruling party.
“India’s diversity necessitates the Government’s moral duty to safeguard everyone’s interests, especially concerning national borders,” she remarked.
Giving the heightened sensitivity of the situation, she urged the Central Government to consider Wangchuk’s demands; otherwise, she warned that a nationwide movement seems inevitable.
Farmer leader Shekhar Dixit, hailing from Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, underscored the significance of maintaining a balance between business interests and social justice.
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