A day ahead of his border march demanding Constitutional guarantees for Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule, climate activist Sonam Wangchuk said on Saturday that with the deployment of a large number of security forces personnel Leh is being turned into a war zone.

Wangchuk has given the call for the march to the Line of Actual Control (LAC) on Sunday to draw the attention of the people to the plight of the Pashmina goat herders of the eastern frontier region of Changthang whose traditional grazing lands have been encroached upon by the Chinese troops. Moreover, the government has allotted vast lands to investors for setting up solar power plants, he said.

In a video message, Wangchuk pointed towards heavy deployment of forces, barricades and teargas shells in the Leh district to thwart the march in which hundreds of Ladakhis are expected to participate. The district magistrate of Leh has imposed restrictions under Section 144 banning the march.

In a hard-hitting message, Wangchuk said; “Attempts to arrest peaceful youth leaders and even singers continue. Seems they want to turn a most peaceful movement violent and then brand Ladakhis as anti-nationals. The government seems worried only about Ladakh’s effects on their votes and on mining lobbies… neither the people here nor even national security”.

He alleged a few people were taken from the protest site to the police station where they were forced to sign some papers and were threatened with arrest. However, the situation was defused after local religious leaders of different faiths intervened.

Meanwhile, Wangchuk’s protest received support from retired Army officers who suggested that the government should defuse the situation by accepting the demand for granting Sixth Schedule status to Ladakh.

Former chief minister and PDP President, Mehbooba Mufti wrote on X; “Imposing Section 144 & suspending mobile data – a norm for us Kashmiris has now been extended to Ladakh. It exposes GOIs (Government of India’s) fake claims of normalcy & also its high-handedness by infringing upon the fundamental right to peacefully protest and dissent. Ladakhis have genuine apprehensions that their land & resources are being outsourced to BJP’s cronies at the cost of wreaking environmental havoc in Ladakh. Today on the one hand China has occupied a big chunk of their grazing land & on the other GOI is plundering their resources. We Kashmiris understand their pain & stand with them against the onslaught on their identity & resources.”