Threads of Change: The Pashmina March for Ladakh's Rights

Introduction “For three generations, my family has been herding cattle in Demchok, but the conflict deprives us of our grazing rights,” Konchok Ishey, a 43-year-old nomad from the Chushul valley in eastern Ladakh had said to Al Jazeera. In a bid to reach out to the masses to explain the current situation of the nomads whose livelihoods have been threatened by the ongoing military tensions between India and China in the Himalayas.

The Changpa Dynasty Leh has been home to the centuries-old Changpa nomadic tribes who make their living by rearing animals and selling their produce, such as milk, hair, and meat. Their lifestyle remained undisturbed until the Chinese army invaded Chembur and Demchok in January 2020. The Chinese army took over traditional grazing grounds and cultivable pastures, preventing the Changpa from accessing large parts of their summer pastures, which formed a major part of their livelihood. The Changpa are also being affected by climate change in Ladakh. As urbanisation and natural climate fluctuations continue to make their winters increasingly hard to bear. Many have been forced to leave their traditional way of life in light of the piling difficulties. They are now moving to towns in Ladakh in search of new income sources. This shift highlights the challenges they face in adapting to a changing environment. Sonam Wangchuk’s Pashmina March It was this set of circumstances that led renowned climate activist and educationalist, Sonam Wangchuk to raise his voice on the matter. He initiated the Pashmina March to draw attention to the impact of Chinese incursions on the local economy. The march was scheduled to begin on 7th April 2024. To understand why Sonam named this protest Pashima March, we need to explore this developing situation more closely. This tribe is known for herding yaks and goats, the most famous being the Changthangi goats, which provide the cashmere wool called pashmina. The Pashmina March gets its name from the Pashmina wool that the Changpa people produce. Pashmina wool is also considered to be the finest cashmere in the world and is used to make the famous Pashmina shawls of Kashmir. The Changpa tribe being one of the main suppliers of this wool, contributes significantly to Ladakh’s economy According to The Kashmir Life, the annual migration of the Pashmina goats has been disrupted by incursions from the Chinese army which has led to a significant rise in their deaths. Naming this march as the Pashmina March highlights the connection between the protest and the livelihood of the locals. The march was inspired by Gandhi’s historic Dandi march. The protest started on 6th March 2024 with the participation of over 60,000 people. The protest began with Sonam going on a hunger strike for 21 days. The manner of the protest was reminiscent of the Independence protest led by Mahatma Gandhi, whose longest fast for the protest also lasted for 21 days. Wangchuk led the protest demanding Ladakh’s Statehood and its inclusion under the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution. The Sixth Schedule The Sixth Schedule is a provision under the Indian Constitution that grants autonomy to the scheduled tribes and grants the powers to make laws, collect revenues, and protect and preserve tribal culture to the Autonomic District Councils (ADCs). Despite its criticism in Meghalaya for violating fundamental rights, its objectives are preserving tribal culture, protecting their land and resources as well as making sure tribal communities are not marginalised by non-tribal populations. According to Sonam, Ladakh’s inclusion in the Sixth Schedule is not a demand but a need, as Ladakh being a union territory, needs an active form of representation in the government. Cancellation Of The March However, the plan to begin the march in April 2024 had to be revised as the government had imposed Section 144 which authorises the Executive Magistrate of any state to issue an order to prohibit the assembly of four or more people in an area. The government had also banned high-speed Internet for 24 hours in Leh district on April 5 citing “apprehension of breach of peace and public tranquillity” and reduced it to 2G internet speed. As stated by The Hindu, Sonam described the situation in Ladakh as “grim and fearful” citing the use of disproportionate forces and barricades by the authorities and its threat of violence against the peaceful protesters. Ladakh’s Apex Body (LAB) also gave its view on the measurements taken by the government, accusing the administration of excessive force and militarization, turning Leh into a "war zone" ahead of the proposed march. “In view of the (recent) developments and the fact that the whole nation now knows about the reality of our pasture lands at the borders, the leaders of the apex body today decided to call off the Pashmina March on 7th April. The ongoing peaceful fast will however continue. We thank all the leaders and people who came here from different parts of the country,” the LAB and Mr. Wangchuk said in a joint statement on Saturday. Conclusion Need For Change According to the Times of India, the government agreed to set up a separate public service commission for Ladakh and reserve two seats in the parliament for Ladakh’s representation on 24 February 2024. As stated in the given press release by the Press Information Bureau, A six-member delegation including Apex Body of Leh (ABL) and, Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) met with the Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah in New Delhi on 4 March 2024, where Shah assured them that their worries about jobs, land, and the preservation of culture would be addressed by the government. However, he made it clear that the government could not include Ladakh in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution. This did not meet the demand of the protestants. Currently, the Ministry of Home Affairs is working closely with representatives from ABL and KDA regarding employment, land, and culture concerns. The press release claims that significant progress has been achieved in these discussions. Shah also reportedly assured the Ladakh delegation that the government would ensure the representation and participation of locals through hill councils and was willing to provide up to 80% reservation in public employment, according to the Indian Express. The Voice of Ladakh has stated that the need for change and Ladakh’s inclusion in the Sixth Schedule has become a crucial demand for the protesters, since the abrogation of Article 370. Before its abolition, one of the features of Articles 370 and 35A was that they incorporated provisions to ensure the ecological aid of Ladakh. Protestors cite the absence of policy and legal measures aimed at enabling the environmental preservation of Ladakh as the reason behind their state of unrest. 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