Leh: In the wake of retracting its proposition for a ‘border march’ due to administrative constraints, the Leh Apex Body (LAB) disclosed on Friday that a modest contingent of its delegates will embark on a pedestrian journey to Changthang, adjacent to the China frontier. This endeavor aims to illuminate the “plight of agrarians deprived of their grazing terrain due to the absence of constitutional provisions under the Sixth Schedule.”

At a press briefing, climate advocate Sonam Wangchuck, a LAB affiliate, stated the march would commence imminently, though precise dates are pending. The LAB, in conjunction with the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), has spearheaded a four-year-long movement advocating for statehood for Ladakh and its inclusion in the Sixth Schedule.

Initially, the LAB proposed the Pashmina march on April 7 to underscore the “tribulations of farmers” purportedly losing fertile grazing lands to southern industrial expansion and northern Chinese incursions. However, the procession was rescinded after authorities enforced prohibitory measures and reduced internet speeds to a meager 2G.

“Our intent was to gather a crowd of 5,000 to 10,000 individuals for the Pashmina march. The administration’s heavy-handed response included deploying large numbers of personnel and throttling internet speeds. Following the Home Minister’s (Amit Shah) assertion that no territory had been ceded to China, we reassessed our approach,” Wangchuck explained.

“More than 40,000 acres of fertile grazing land have been appropriated by industrialists for solar installations. To highlight this reality, we are planning a foot march to Changthang. Only a select group of 10 to 20 key leaders involved in the ongoing struggle will participate in the march, traversing from village to village to exhibit the extent of the land loss,” Wangchuk continued.

He expressed hope that the authorities would permit the march, referencing the Home Minister’s assurance that no land was forfeited to China. “Should we encounter resistance again, it would be astonishing that free Indian citizens are impeded from moving within their own land and accessing border areas. Such an outcome would undermine the veracity of claims regarding China’s territorial gains,” he remarked.