LAB to start protest march to Skang Chu-Thang on Apr 17
Leh: The Leh Apex Body (LAB) will start a five-day foot march to Skang Chu-Thang near the Himachal Pradesh border on April 17 to meet the shepherds who are reportedly losing their pasture land to major industrial projects, climate activist Sonam Wangchuk said.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the LAB, along with the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), is spearheading an agitation for the past four years to demand Statehood for Ladakh and its inclusion in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.
Sonam Wangchuk said the only purpose of the march is to “take the pain of the people” of Ladakh to the authorities who need to fulfill their promises.
The LAB had earlier called for the border (Pashmina) march on April 7 to highlight the plight of farmers who are losing prime pasture land to huge industrial plants to the south and “Chinese encroachments” to the north. However, the call for the march was withdrawn after authorities imposed prohibitory orders and curtailed the speed of the internet to 2G.
“Ladakh is a very sensitive place surrounded by borders and we can understand that our announcement of 10,000 people moving to the border might have caused concern to the government over disturbance of peace,” Wagchuk said.
He said the march will start on April 17 coinciding with Ram Navami and there should be no objection to the march as it is happening within Indian territory.
