Sonam Wangchuk, a renowned environmentalist, an innovator and educationist from Ladakh has refuted the claim of the Central government for transforming the life and carrying out large scale development in the region after creation of Ladakh as a Union Territory after abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir.
Wangchuk, who is on a long march from Leh to Delhi, said this while talking to media persons during his stopover at Mandi on Saturday.
In reply to a question he said, “Nothing much has been done, some roads are being constructed, in fact development has stopped as there is no local administration to carry the development projects and unutilized funds for development are being sent back.”
“Due to lack of recruitment and manpower youths are unemployed and in the absence of local representation in the local administration, the state administration led by the Lieutenant Governor is not able to address various important issues of the region,” Wangchuk said.
Telling about the main objective of the long march Wangchuk said, “The Long March, which commenced on September 1 from Leh will conclude at New Delhi on October 2, covering a distance of more than 1000 kms along with hundreds of activists, is being undertaken to remind the Central government about the promises made by them while making Ladakh as Union Territory”.
He said, “Inclusion of Ladakh region in the 6th schedule as promised by the Central government is our utmost demand and we are marching to Delhi to remind this to the Central government.”
“Our main thrust is on conserving the Himalayan ecology ,environment and culture of this region since there is urgent need to carry sensible and scientific use of our natural resources; the exploitation of natural resources should not be done for rich people but for sustained development with the participation of local people”, he added.
He said, “People of Ladakh are resisting the Central Govt’s move to carry haphazard development by inviting big companies from outside as local people are better judge and can suggest better; it is important since the region has strategic importance also.”
Wangchuk also expressed concern on Global warming and said, “People have less than four and half years time to arrest the rise in the temperature as during this period it can rise to 1.5 degree when it would become reversible and emphasized on urgent need to reduce carbon emission suggesting leading simple life can be best method to do it.”
Earlier, Wangchuk and people accompanying him, was given rousing reception by different organizations at Himachal Photo Darshan Gallery.
