During Hunger Strike In Ladakh, A Birthday Wish For PM Modi

It was an unusual birthday greeting for Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Ladakh. More than 500 people, currently on a hunger strike, marked his 75th birthday on Tuesday with collective prayers and wishes for his well-being.

Each protester held a khata - a ceremonial white scarf symbolising honour and respect - and offered prayers in unison for the Prime Minister.

The demonstration, now on its eighth day, is being led by Sonam Wangchuk, who has been demanding statehood for Ladakh and the inclusion of the region under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution. Mr Wangchuk said that while the protesters had little else to offer, they extended their "good wishes and prayers" to PM Modi, adding that they hoped he would reciprocate by fulfilling the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) promise of Sixth Schedule protections for Ladakh.

Over the past three years, Ladakh has seen growing unrest against direct central rule. Residents have repeatedly called for statehood and constitutional safeguards to protect their land, culture, and resources.

Ladakh was carved out as a separate Union Territory in August 2019, following the abrogation of Article 370 and the bifurcation of the former state of Jammu and Kashmir. At the time, many in Leh, including Mr Wangchuk, had welcomed the move. But within a year, concerns began to mount over what residents described as a political vacuum under the administration of the Lieutenant Governor.

This discontent gave rise to large-scale protests and hunger strikes. For the first time, political and religious groups from Buddhist-majority Leh and Muslim-majority Kargil joined hands under a joint platform: the Apex Body of Leh and the Kargil Democratic Alliance.

In response, the Centre set up a high-level committee to examine Ladakh's demands. However, successive rounds of talks yielded no breakthrough. In March this year, Ladakhi representatives met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi.

Talks collapsed soon afterwards. Local leaders said the Home Minister had rejected their core demands.

"During the meeting, the Home Minister told us that he had made a mistake by carving out Ladakh as a separate Union Territory. He also rejected our demand for statehood and the Sixth Schedule," one leader who attended the meeting told NDTV.