Sonam Wangchuk to Lead Shortened Leh March on September 23

The March And Its Purpose

Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk will lead a 20-kilometre march on September 23 with villagers from Kharoo in Leh. The padayatra was originally planned to start from Kargil but was shortened due to changing weather. It begins at a village-built stupa to honour people killed, injured, or jailed last year while seeking democratic restoration and safeguards for Ladakh's culture and environment. September has been designated martyrs' month, with September 24 marked as Shaheed Diwas to note the first anniversary of the 2025 Leh violence that left four people dead.

Inquiry And Compensation

Wangchuk demanded the release of the judicial inquiry commission report into last year's violence to establish responsibility and transparency. He criticized the compensation offered to victims' families as an insult, noting that families of those killed received 15 lakh rupees while permanently disabled individuals received one to three lakh rupees. He compared this to compensation given for NEET exam suicides, arguing that Ladakh's citizens deserve similar consideration.

Political Demands And Government Talks

Ladakh's leadership has scaled down its demands over six years from full statehood and Sixth Schedule inclusion to a tailor-made arrangement under Article 371 with an elected assembly. Wangchuk alleged that recent government meetings called with Ladakh representatives were cheap tricks designed to stall the march and push discussions past martyrs' month. He also criticized the Centre for making irreversible structural changes regarding land, tourism, and industries before handing power to a democratic assembly. Rejecting the Centre's argument that statehood threatens strategic border interests, Wangchuk cited Arunachal Pradesh as a peaceful border state that successfully received full statehood.