Key facts
- Delhi HC plea warns Wangchuk 'may die in 2 days', seeks force-feeding order
- CJP's Abhijeet Dipke calls government 'cruel' for ignoring the fast
- Wangchuk demands statehood and Sixth Schedule protections for Ladakh
- Congress reportedly wary of supporting his movement
Sonam Wangchuk's hunger strike over Ladakh's political future has reached a critical juncture, with a petition filed in the Delhi High Court warning that the activist may die within two days and seeking judicial intervention in the form of 'force-feeding'. The plea has brought urgent legal scrutiny to a fast that the government has so far appeared to ignore.
CJP's Abhijeet Dipke publicly condemned the government's silence, calling it 'cruel' to ignore a citizen's hunger strike that has attracted national attention. The petition's language — that Wangchuk 'may die in 2 days' — underscores the severity of his physical condition and the urgency felt by supporters and legal advocates.
Wangchuk, a prominent Ladakhi innovator and activist known internationally for his climate work, has been demanding constitutional safeguards for Ladakh, including statehood and inclusion in the Sixth Schedule, which would provide tribal land protections. His cause has resonated widely among residents of the Union Territory, who have felt disenfranchised since Ladakh's bifurcation from Jammu and Kashmir in 2019.
Politically, the situation has placed opposition parties in a delicate position. Reports indicate that the Congress party is wary of openly supporting Wangchuk's movement. As legal pressure mounts and the activist's health hangs in the balance, all eyes are on whether the Centre will open dialogue before the courts are forced to intervene.