Internet restrictions and banning orders in Ladakh ahead of Sonam Wangchuk march

The march was part of the statehood agitation to highlight the “reality of Ladakh”.

Srinagar:

Climate activist and education reformer Sonam Wangchuk announced plans for a border march to “highlight the realities” of Ladakh, including China’s alleged encroachments, on the union territory just two days before the planned The government has issued prohibitory orders in the Leh region and announced that internet speeds will be reduced.

Thousands of people are expected to take part in a march to the Line of Actual Control on Sunday as part of the agitation for statehood. On March 27, Mr. Wangchuck followed Mahatma Gandhi’s “Dandi March” and called for a “Pashmina March”, a day after he canceled a 21-year-old march for Ladakh’s statehood and defense of people’s rights. Hunger strike for days. Its majority tribal population according to the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.

The innovator, who led the protests and fasted for another three days, lashed out at what he called the government’s measures to disrupt the marches and said its peace initiatives now sounded “dangerous”.

“Abuse of mobile data”

The government issued two separate orders on Friday. An order issued by the deputy commissioner of police of Ladakh quoted police and intelligence agencies and said it was “extremely concerned about misuse of mobile data and public WiFi facilities by anti-social elements and miscreants to incite and provoke the public” through social media and more way”

The order said it was “absolutely necessary to reduce” mobile data services below 2G, “thereby temporarily suspending mobile data on 3G, 4G, 5G and 5G at public Wi-Fi facilities.” The order will apply to Leh and its surrounding 10-km radius from 6 pm on Saturday to 6 pm on Sunday, the statement said.

The Leh district magistrate issued another notice imposing prohibitory order under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).

Under the order, restrictions are imposed on, inter alia, any processions, rallies or processions, public gatherings and the unauthorized use of loudspeakers mounted on vehicles.

Earlier on Friday, Wangchuk claimed that despite plans for peaceful marches, the government was taking steps to intimidate people involved in the riots and force them to sign bonds. He also claimed that since Ladakh is a union territory, the government is taking instructions from New Delhi.

Peaceful Ladakh is in chaos!
After 31 days of extremely peaceful prayer and fasting…
Suddenly, the government’s peace initiative sounds more dangerous than anything!

Keep the peace at all costs! ! ?#saveladakh#savehimalaya#saveglacier#6 Timetable#SupportSonamWangchukpic.twitter.com/ZRbPZ3V8Kv

— Sonam Wangchuk (@Wangchuk66) April 5, 2024

In a video posted on There is a breach of the peace and we are warned to take action. I fear this may actually lead to a breach of the peace. I think there’s some misunderstanding, so I won’t say too much right now. “

“Will walk with the shepherds”

The activist announced that thousands of people would march with the shepherds to the border area in the eastern region of the federal territory. He claimed that China had occupied more than 4,000 square kilometers of land.

“Just like Mahatma Gandhi did the Dandi March, we will go to the Changtang March. We will go with the shepherds and they will show us how far our pastures have been and where they are today,” he said.

Mr Wangchuk also asked the government to make prisons ready Barrow Andolan Prison A (self-invited arrest campaign) will be launched after the march.

“If necessary, we will launch a non-cooperation movement in Ladakh in the coming weeks and months. The government here will be paralyzed,” he said.

need

In August 2019, under Article 370 of the Constitution, the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir was bifurcated and deprived of its statehood and special status, and Ladakh was made a separate union territory.

Within a year, Ladakhis felt a political vacuum. Earlier this year, there were massive protests after leaders in Buddhist-dominated Leh and Muslim-dominated Kargil joined forces under the banners of the Leh apex body and the Kargil Democratic Alliance to demand statehood for Ladakh and its inclusion in the sixth alliance and hunger strikes began to occur.Schedule to the Constitution

Although the Center formed a high-level committee to look into the demands of the people of Ladakh, a series of meetings with protestors’ representatives failed to find a solution. On March 4, Ladakh leaders met Home Minister Amit Shah and said he refused to accept their demands. Two days later, Mr. Wangchuk began a 21-day fast in Leh.