Ladakhi students rally in Jammu, Indian cities in support of demands
Jammu: Students hailing from Ladakh region in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir staged protests in Jammu and various Indian cities including Delhi in favour of the demands of the people of the cold desert region.
According to Kashmir Media Service, a day-long hunger strike cum peaceful procession was organised in Jammu under the leadership of All Ladakh Students Association Jammyu (ALSAJ) and All Zanaskar Students Association Jammu (AZSAJ) and various student unions of Ladakh residing in Jammu. Around 400 people including students, parents and climate activists participated in the gathering.
The main objective of the protest was to show solidarity with renowned environmental activist Sonam Wangchuk who is on a 21-day hunger strike in Leh for inclusion of Ladakh under the 6th Schedule and statehood for the region. The protesters raised concerns about the fragile environment of Ladakh and demanded land, employment, trade and business protection for Ladakh under the 6th Schedule.
Hunger strikes were also observed in Delhi and other Indian cities including Chandigarh, Nagpur, Dehradun, Mumbai and Pune.
In Delhi, students congregated at Budh Vihar to initiate a day-long protest cum hunger strike. The protest, spearheaded by the All Kargil Students’ Association Delhi (AKSAD) and Ladakh Students’ Welfare Society Delhi (LSWSD), saw active participation from numerous students enrolled in various universities and institutes across Delhi.
“Previously, on March 10, students had undertaken a hunger strike to extend support to Sonam Wangchuk and the four-point demands of Ladakh. We firmly stand behind the four-point agenda advocated by the Leh Apex Body and Kargil Democratic Alliance,” remarked Zaheer Abass, a student from Kargil.
Acknowledging the challenges faced by students in rallying for such protests while being away from their hometowns, General Secretary, LSWSD, Jigmet Stanzin, expressed gratitude towards Ladakh leaders, particularly Sonam Wangchuk, and fellow students for their active participation in the protest.
