Leh/New Delhi, Oct 01:
As soon as the Delhi Chalo Pad Yatra volunteers led by environmental activist Sonam Wangchuk entered into Delhi, they have been detained by the Delhi Police on September 30.
In solidarity with all the Pad Yatra volunteers, Ladakh observed a complete shutdown today. Besides, a peaceful march was also organised in Leh by all religious organisations where people in huge numbers participated.
The case of detention of Sonam Wangchuk has now reached the Delhi High Court. A lawyer sought an order from the court for releasing Sonam Wangchuk. The matter came up before a bench headed by Chief Justice Manmohan. The court has decided to take up the hearing on this petition on October 3. The High Court said that if the petitioner submits all the documents by 3:30 pm, then the hearing will be held on October 3.
Earlier, Sonam Wangchuk in a video said, “We are going to Delhi from Punjab by bus. A lot of Haryana Police and Delhi Police vehicles are escorting us. As we are apporoching towards Delhi, it feels like they were not escorting us but going to detain us. Two police officers came in our bus and informed us that more than 1000 police forces had been deployed at Delhi Border.”
“Also, we were informed that Ladakh Bhavan where all the Ladakhi politicians have been staying has been barricaded. Also, all the Mohallas where students of Ladakh are staying have been barricaded in Delhi. Perhaps we will be detained that is why I am sending this message while on the bus. We got a notification from Delhi Police Commissioner’s office that they have imposed an order in the whole Central Delhi and North Delhi which is equivalent to Section 144 according to which more than five people cannot gather from September 30 to October 6. I feel that they are trying to stop the Pad Yatra even though it is a peaceful march. After that, we don’t know whether they will detain us or arrest us that’s why I am sending this message,” he said.
He ended the video with a slogan ‘Jai Hind, Hosla phir bi Buland hai kunki desh hamare sath hai, sachhai hamere sath hai, aur sachhai ki jeet hogi.’
According to Pad Yatris, they have been detained in various police stations in Delhi and filthy open spaces.
Mehdi Shah, a member of Apex Body Leh said, “Yesterday we were taken to different police stations. Sonam Wangchuk, Stanba and I are in Narela Industrial Police Station. Around 35 to 38 people are here. Yesterday for the whole night we waited but it was pointless. We were kept in an open area where the carpet was dirty with pigeon shits and we were sleeping there.”
“We cleaned the carpet in the morning. Now, we have been kept in a hall which is much better than the earlier one. In the morning, we were served Chai and samosa but after having that we have started our fast again. After this, we don’t know what will happen to us. We have been kept separately, a few will be in the Munirka police station, a few are at Narela Industrial Police Station, few are at Rohini Police Station that is what we know,” added Shah.
Earlier, this morning, a press conference was also organised by all the religious organisations and expressed their anger with the Delhi Police.
Rigzin Dorjey, Vice President LBA said, “It is the responsibility of each and every individual to show solidarity with all the pad yatra volunteers because it is about the future of Ladakh and the future generation of Ladakh. I request UT Administration and ADGP that a Delhi-like situation should not happen here in Ladakh. We will protest peacefully.”
Venerable Tsering Chosphel, General Secretary of the Ladakh Gonpa Association said, “This is not the way they should deal with them. They were leading a peaceful protest in Delhi. They were just demanding the safeguard for the land, jobs and environment. What happened with them yesterday is sad for all of us as a Ladakhi.”
Also, Organising Committee, Apex Body Leh issued a statement saying, “In view of the unlawful detention of the socio-political and religious leaders of Ladakh including environmentalist, Sonam Wangchuk along with the padayatra volunteers Apex Body Leh decided to call complete Ladakh Bandh on October 1”.
“The ruling dispensation and Delhi Police’s unjust detention and preventing the peaceful march from entering the national capital is an undemocratic action towards the people of the bordering region of Ladakh. The inhuman action inflicted by the Delhi Police on the people of Ladakh is an attempt to deter our voice from reaching to the national and international communities. Time has come for the people of this region to show our unity in safeguarding the principles of democracy and show solidarity to the detainees and demand accountability for this unlawful action,” it added.
“Therefore, Apex Body Leh appeals to the people of Ladakh to extend overwhelming support to this Bandh call with utmost sincerity to show solidarity to our struggle for the fulfillment of the four-point agenda. All business establishments including shops, restaurants, offices and transports shall remain shut down for the entire day tomorrow on Tuesday October 1 2024. The women and youth wings of all the religious organizations of Ladakh are requested for successful implementation of the Bandh without any untoward incident,” the statement added.
Meanwhile, taking a dig at Delhi Police’s detention of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk and his supporters in the ‘Delhi Chalo Pad Yatra’ on Monday night, the leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, termed the move unacceptable.
“The detention of Sonam Wangchuk ji and hundreds of Ladakhis who were peacefully marching for environmental and constitutional rights is unacceptable,” Rahul Gandhi stated in a post on X.
Criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Gandhi attributed the responsibility for the detention to the PM. “Modi ji, like with the farmers, this ‘Chakravyuh’ will be broken, and so will your arrogance. You will have to listen to Ladakh’s voice,” Gandhi wrote on X.
Meanwhile, Delhi Chief Minister Atishi said she will meet activist Sonam Wangchuk and the people from Ladakh who were detained by the police at the Singhu border last night. Labelling the detention of the protesting individuals from Ladakh as “dictatorship,” Delhi CM Atishi announced in a post on X that she will visit the Bawana police station at 1 PM today to meet with the protesters.
“Sonam Wangchuk and our 150 Ladakhi brothers and sisters were coming to Delhi peacefully. The police have stopped them. They have been imprisoned in Bawana police station since last night. Is it wrong for Ladakh to demand democratic rights? Is it wrong for satyagrahis to go to Gandhi Samadhi on 2 October? Stopping Sonam Wangchuk ji is dictatorship. I will go to Bawana police station to meet him today at 1 pm,” Atishi wrote in a post on X.
Meanwhile, former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also criticized the detention of the protesters from Ladakh.
