Why is it in the news?

• Ladakh activist Sonam Wangchuk ended his fast on October 21 after receiving a letter from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs regarding discussions on Ladakh’s administration.
• Wangchuk, along with other activists, had marched from Ladakh to Delhi in September, demanding greater autonomy for the region by applying the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution.

More about the news

• Wangchuk has been vocal about Ladakh’s governance issues for years. In 2019, he wrote to the Union Tribal Affairs Minister seeking Scheduled Area status for Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule.
• This demand gained traction following the repeal of Article 370 in 2019, when Ladakh was made a Union Territory.
• Protests, led by students and local leaders, led to the formation of the Leh Apex Body (ABL) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), both of which have been at the forefront of the movement.
• Wangchuk pointed out that the BJP had promised Sixth Schedule protections during the 2019 elections, a promise activists are now pressing the government to honour.
• The Sixth Schedule, outlined under Article 244, allows for the creation of Autonomous District Councils (ADCs) and Autonomous Regional Councils (ARCs) for tribal areas.
• With a majority of Ladakh’s population being Scheduled Tribes, activists argue that decentralizing power through ADCs, which have legislative authority over matters like land, water, and local policing, would better protect Ladakh from external industrial influences. Wangchuk believes this would help safeguard the region from mining interests that threaten its valleys.
• The protests also stem from stalled negotiations between the ABL, KDA, and the government. In March, Home Minister Amit Shah offered Article 371-like protections but refused to include Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule. In response, Wangchuk fasted for 21 days in freezing temperatures.
• Plans for a ‘Pashmina march’ to the China border were later cancelled after the administration warned of Section 144 restrictions.
• Wangchuk has also raised concerns about land loss to corporations, difficulties faced by pashmina goat herders due to Chinese activities, and rising unemployment since 2019.