Democracy on trial?
As India observes the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of the Nation, the very ideals he stood for appear to be hijacked by the ruling regime. As many as 150 peaceful marchers from Ladakh, led by prominent climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, have been detained on the Delhi-Haryana border. This forces one to confront an unsettling reality—India’s democratic promises are being curtailed when it matters the most. Events will certainly be held across the country to celebrate the ideals and practices championed by Gandhi, and yet, a peaceful protest for a legitimate cause—the truest legacy of the Mahatma—appears to have been curtailed by the State.
Wangchuk and his group, also consisting of elderly citizens, including army veterans, set out from Leh on September 1 on a symbolic march to the capital. Their mission? To remind the government of Ladakh’s demand for Constitutional safeguards, particularly statehood and inclusion under the Sixth Schedule, which protects tribal areas. However, their peaceful protest was met not with dialogue, but with heavy-handed police action. Wangchuk, an outstanding proponent of environmental advocacy and educational reform, expressed his dismay on X, noting that he and his fellow marchers—including octogenarians—had been detained by “hundreds, some say 1,000” police personnel. “Our fate is unknown,” he lamented.
Ladakh’s demand for greater autonomy is neither new nor unreasonable. Since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, the region, once part of the state of Jammu and Kashmir, has been relegated to a Union Territory status. The Leh Apex Body (LAB) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), representing Ladakh’s civil society, have consistently demanded statehood, job reservations for locals, and representation in Parliament. However, despite earlier promises, the government’s response has been one of silence and delay. By detaining these peaceful protesters, the authorities seem to have sent a chilling message—dissent, even in its most civil and peaceful form, will be met with repression. The turn of events is reminiscent of the treatment meted out to farmers, students, and athletes, previously.
What makes this episode particularly egregious is the demographic of the protesters. These are not insurgents or agitators; they are elderly citizens, veterans, and environmentalists—people who have served the nation, and now, merely seek to protect their homeland and culture. Their demand for inclusion under the Sixth Schedule is not radical by any measure. It is, in fact, a legitimate request rooted in the need to preserve Ladakh’s ecology and socio-cultural landscape. The Delhi Police justified the detentions by citing the ‘sensitive’ law and order situation in the capital, referencing the Waqf Amendment Bill, upcoming elections, and festival season. However, this explanation rings hollow. Ladakh’s peaceful march posed no threat to public safety, apparently.
The detentions have also sparked political outrage, with opposition leader Rahul Gandhi condemning the government's actions. He compared the treatment of Ladakh’s peaceful marchers to that of the farmers, warning that this ‘Chakravyuh’ of repression, too, would eventually break. Delhi CM Atishi, too, condemned the police’s action and was about to meet Wangchuk at Bawana police station. As a nation that prides itself on being the world’s largest democracy, India can definitely do better. As we honour the legacy of the Mahatma on this auspicious day, we should do that in letter and spirit, and not as mere tokenism.
