Wangchuk under ‘house arrest’ as Ladakh rallies against hill council polls in winter
SRINAGAR: Leh Apex Body (LAB) member and climate activist Sonam Wangchuk was put under “house arrest” Thursday as an agitation began against a govt decision to hold Ladakh hill council polls on Dec 4 despite pleas to avoid the elections in the Union Territory (UT) during the harsh winter.Police removed Wangchuk from protest site NDS Memorial Park in Leh late Wednesday when he went there to oversee preparations, initially saying he “has been advised to stay at his residence”. Later, the Leh SSP issued formal “preventive” orders and restrictions on Wangchuk, saying his “activities, antecedents and alleged attempts to instigate the general public have affected public order before and there is an apprehension his future demonstrations may again lead to disturbance of peace”. “Dozens of armed guards surround my house,” Wangchuk posted late Thursday.A ban was clamped Wednesday on protests in view of the Dec 4 hill council polls and municipal/panchayat polls on Nov 21.Wangchuk and his LAB colleagues then issued an “SOS” appeal to President Droupadi Murmu, PM Narendra Modi and home minister Amit Shah to defer the polls. They cited the harsh winter and likely exclusion of many voters. LAB co-chairman Chering Dorjay Lakrook has said nearly 30% of the population is outside the region during winter.On Thursday, LAB said despite the crackdown and heavy deployment of security in Leh and Kargil, people from all walks of life participated in a peaceful dharna. “It sends a clear message to the administration that the people of Ladakh believe in peaceful and democratic means of protest and remain determined to raise their legitimate demands while exercising their constitutional right to protest, as guaranteed by the Constitution,” LAB said in a statement.Speaking at the protest site, Lakrook argued that LAB was not opposed to the hill council polls but holding them in winter would deprive a large number of people from voting. He also alleged that electoral rolls have been tampered with and Gen Z voters removed, calling it “Operation Lotus”.
The elections follow an Oct 20 notification paving the way for hill councils in all eight districts in Ladakh, including newly created Sankoo. Ladakh earlier had two hill councils, one each in Leh and Kargil.Chief secretary Ashish Kundra has described the hill council polls as a “watershed moment” for Ladakh’s democracy. He has argued that schools remain open in the region till Dec 15 and if children can attend classes, there is no no reason adults can’t turn out to vote. The votes of both the hill council and panchayat polls will be counted on Dec 8.
