Presidency Univ students protest to show solidarity with people of Ladakh

Kolkata: Students of Presidency University raised their voices in support of the people of Ladakh and their ongoing protest for statehood and protection of fragile Himalayan ecology.

Students conducted a sign campaign under the protest banner and plan on sending it to Ladakh to share their message of solidarity with them. An engineer and education reformer from Ladakh, known for his innovative approaches to education and sustainable development, Sonam Wangchuk has been demanding for statehood and Sixth Schedule implementation for Ladakh. The Sixth Schedule ensures land protection and autonomy of tribal areas.

He raised concerns over environmental damage caused by industrialisation and criticised the government for imposing a 13-gigawatt project without consulting locals. While showing their support to the cause, the Presidency University said that the issue of Ladakh is not just restricted to Ladakh.

“Every year, the temperature keeps beating the previous year’s record. The reason for this being the destruction of the environment and forest. Thousands of people in Ladakh are protesting. A well-known scientist, engineer and educationist from Ladakh Sonam Wangchuk was on a 21-day hunger strike. As conscious citizens, it is wrong for us to remain silent,” the students stated.

When asked if the issue of climate change is one of the pertinent issues on which young students should be voting on in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, a first year postgraduate student of Presidency University Atri Deb Chowdhury said: “I would very much like to forward this pressing issue of climate change which would severely affect us if not intervened. It should be one of the issues while voting.”