Who has the right to claim citizenship in India? How should we perform our citizenship so that the state is ready to hear our voices? Identifying as an Indian becomes an act of blind patriotism when the state is hunting any voice of dissent. They have now caged the voice of Sonam Wangchuck, an activist, and an environmentalist from Ladakh who was at the forefront of the struggle for statehood and the implementation of the Sixth schedule in Ladakh.
Till 2019, Ladakh was part of the then Jammu and Kashmir state. After the abrogation of article 370 and the snatching of statehood of J&K by the BJP government, Ladakh which consists of 97% tribal population, was promised the implementation of the Sixth Schedule in the region. Sixth schedule under article 244 of the constitution gives tribal areas power of self-governance. This would mean political autonomy and democratic representation for Ladakh. The central government refuses to let go of their power in this area as it is rich in natural resources.
Ladakh known for its high-altitude deserts, and glaciers is an ecologically fragile region which is home to rich biodiversity including a number of endangered species. A 13-GW renewable energy project encroaching on pastures has also been approved by the government without local consent. As the climate crisis becomes a reality, its effects on Ladakh are tenfold resulting in long-term water scarcity and short-term floods. Increased mining and industrialization would force the indigenous population to migrate from this region as it will become inhabitable soon. Ladakh is also going through an unemployment crisis with graduate unemployed at 26.5% in 2023, far beyond the national average. The absence of a Public Service Commission is pushing out the youth into the streets for contractual jobs since 2019. Demand for statehood and sixth schedule is also in turn a demand for the implementation of a Public Service Commission.
When the central government refused to listen to the demands of the people of Ladakh, Sonam Wangchuck, who was leading the protest, went on an indefinite hunger strike from October 2024. The hunger strike was discontinued with the coming of local elections for the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council which again promised the implementation of the sixth schedule in Ladakh. BJP won that election and once again it was consigned to oblivion. The peaceful protest had been revived since then. When the government turned a blind eye to their demands, the protest moved to the streets. The angry youth pelted stones at the local BJP government office and lit a CRPF vehicle on fire in September. Police firing killed four and injured many.
Since then Wangchuck has been detained by the police under Public Safety Act and National Security Act accusing him of inciting violence against the state and having links with Pakistan. The Union Ministry of Home Affairs has quickly cancelled Foreign Contribution Regulation Act Licence for the NGO headed by him.
This begs the question of who has the right to claim citizenship in this country.
When the loot of Jal-Jangal-Jameen is happening in all corners, when the Indian state is killing its own people to help corporate loot, even peaceful, democratic struggles for constitutional rights are being met with extreme violence. The only mass mobilisation sanctioned by the state is that of the RSS goons, brutalising Muslims, Dalits and other gender and sexual minorities.
The cowardice of the RSS-BJP regime is exposed. Even Mohan Bhagwat, the RSS chief warned how government neglect can turn into public anger like Nepal. The uprisings in Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Indonesia are warnings for the frantic state apparatus. When the fascist regime learns from the repression and ways of violence from other fascists in the world, people gain strength and learn resistance from the oppressed people of the world. At the end they also know that the people united shall always be victorious.
