After Sonam Wangchuk, Abhijit Dipke has now raised a spirited call to action; The announcement of a hunger strike has heated up the atmosphere in Ladakh.

The ongoing movement demanding autonomy and environmental protection of Ladakh has reached a new turn. After environmental activist Sonam Wangchuk was forcibly taken to the hospital due to ill health, now Abhijit Dipke has taken the command of the movement. Abhijeet Dipke has clearly announced that he will take forward the unfinished fight of Sonam Wangchuk and has officially announced to sit on a hunger strike. This development has created a stir in the political circles of Ladakh, and now the issue has once again come to the center of national discussion.

Sonam Wangchuk sent to hospital, but spirits still high

The health of Sonam Wangchuk, who was on hunger strike for the last several days for the rights of Ladakh, had deteriorated significantly in the last 24 hours. After the advice of doctors and pressure from the administration, he was shifted to the hospital for treatment. However, his supporters claim that Wangchuk is not ready to back down from his demands. Even from the hospital, he has given a message to his colleagues to continue the movement, immediately after which Abhijeet Dipke’s appearance shows that this campaign has now grown from one person to a big mass movement.

What is the real objective of Ladakh movement?

The people of Ladakh have been protesting for a long time mainly regarding three major demands. These include giving full statehood to Ladakh, including it in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution so that its land and culture can be protected, and constituting a separate Public Service Commission for Ladakh. The protesters argue that their local voice has been suppressed since it became a Union Territory and Ladakh’s ecosystem is being threatened in the name of industrial development. This is why local youth are now taking to the streets along with faces like Sonam Wangchuk and Abhijit Dipke, demanding to secure their future.

Demand is echoing from Lucknow to Leh, pressure on administration increased

The echo of this movement is being heard not only in the valleys of Leh-Ladakh, but also in big cities like Delhi and Lucknow. A lot of search volume is being seen on the issue of Ladakh on social media and AI search platforms also. After Abhijit Dipke’s announcement of going on hunger strike, the pressure on the local administration and government for talks has increased further. Experts say that if the government does not start meaningful talks with the representatives of Ladakh soon, then this movement may become more violent in the coming days, which may also affect the peace and order there.