Rain, snow, or sun. Nothing could halt their ‘Delhi Chalo March’ on foot, which began from Leh on September 1 and was to culminate at Rajghat in Delhi on the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi on October 2.

But around 9 pm on September 30, these padyatris ran into a Delhi police hurdle when they tried to enter the national capital through the Singhu border. Around 150 of them, led by climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, were taken to at least three police stations, and an Arya Samaj temple. 

The march is supported by members of Ladakh Apex Body and Kargil Democratic Alliance. These protesters have been demanding that the Centre resume dialogue with Ladakh’s leadership on key demands, such as statehood for the union territory, inclusion under the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution which grants special rights to tribal communities, and stronger ecological protections.

On Tuesday, another group of around 60 people, including Ladakh MP Mohmad Haneefa, was also detained at the Singhu border. It’s not clear which police station they have been taken to. When Newslaundry spoke to the MP in the afternoon, he said: “We do not know where the police are taking us. They are going round and round.” 

Meanwhile, the detainees have decided to go on indefinite hunger strike until they are released. The police have detained 200 people so far, a police officer said.

Outside the Bawana police station in north-west Delhi where Wangchuk and 40 others were kept, a group of people raised slogans against the Centre and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Among them were a few students – studying in Delhi but from Ladakh – who scratched their heads and asked: Can a peaceful march pose a law and order problem?

But the ground to foil this march and other such gatherings in Delhi on Gandhi Jayanti was prepared on Monday evening. Delhi police commissioner Sanjay Arora issued a prohibitory order under section 163 of BNSS till October 6, outlawing the assembly of more than five people citing the “prevailing communal atmosphere”, assembly polls, festive season, and other reasons.

Healing a petition for Wangchuk’s release, the Delhi high court refused urgent hearing and listed the matter for Thursday. Ladakh also observed a shutdown in protest against the detentions.

Three buses, followed by two police vehicles

Known for his innovation in education and sustainable living, Wangchuk has been advocating for greater autonomy for Ladakh, protection of the environment from industrialists, restoration of statehood and two parliament seats for the region.

After covering 900-odd km on foot, the padyatris had reached Chandigarh on September 29. The next day, they marched from Dera Bassi in Punjab to the Haryana border at Sarsini village.

“Due to the Haryana elections, Sonam decided to cover the Haryana to Delhi distance by bus. This way, he did not want to interfere with the elections in any way,” said Dilip Jain, the founder of climate advocacy group ‘Friends of Ladakh, Friends of Nature’, a friend of Wangchuk, and among the 19 people who were detained at Rohini police station.

From the Haryana border, the volunteers travelled in three buses. This was the point from where Delhi and Haryana police began escorting them.

“They were two police vehicles escorting us to the Singhu border. One was ahead and another was following us. We were not suspicious as it was usual for police to escort us in other states like Himachal and Punjab. The Delhi police told us that they were escorting us for our safety and protection,” said Jain.

They had stopped at Sonipat for dinner around 7 pm. But Jain said that they were “surprised” to see a “huge” police contingent when they reached the Singhu border around 9.30 pm. “At the time, a couple of policemen boarded each of three buses. Even then, they said the passengers were being taken to safety,” said Jain.

It did take long for padyatris to realise that they were being taken to different police stations.

“There was a lot of traffic at the Singhu border and only one road was open for movement. After our entry, three buses were taken in different directions,” said Sonam Dorje, a Ladakh resident who was detained at Narela police station. He is sharing a hall with 29 others from the movement.

Wangchuk was in the hall until Tuesday morning but has now been kept separately at Bawana police station. “When (Delhi Chief Minister) Atishi (Singh) was coming to meet us, he was taken to a meeting room and was not allowed to see anyone,” said Rahian, a 22-year-old resident of Bihar, detained at Bawana police station.

Detainees said they had been given tea and biscuits in detention. A police officer told Newslaundry that all detainees are being provided food as is the norm as well as medical facilities.

A media update from Wangchuk’s team stated: “Their stand is that they will continue to remain on anshan (strike) in police stations where they are even if they are released today. The condition will be that they let them go to Rajghat tomorrow and hold a meeting with the PM.”

From YouTuber to retired professor to DU students

The detained padyatris include a Bihar youngster, whose visit to Ladakh was funded by a Kerala philanthropist, a computer shopkeeper in Delhi, a retired professor from Haryana, retired army veterans, and members of LPA and KDA. The youngest is 18 years old and the oldest is 85.

Most of the elderly citizens have been detained at Arya Samaj Mandir in Narela. As many as 10 of the detainees are aged over 65 years.

“The government does not want people to show its flaws. That’s why we have been detained here. Do you remember what Modi had done when Trump visited India? All slum areas in Gujarat were covered. The same is happening here,” said Rahian.

When Wangchuk announced his decision to begin the journey, Rahian was in Kerala. Short of money but passionate about the environment, he said his trip to Ladakh was sponsored by a Kerala philanthropist.

Among the detainees was Subhas Jha, who runs a computer shop at Nehru Place in Delhi and has a YouTube channel Chalte Chalte. He joined the march for social media coverage. “I knew that no mainstream media would cover the march so I joined and covered it.”

Retired professor Desh Dhankhar, 70, from Haryana joined the march from Chandigarh but was not part of the group which proceeded to Delhi. “A lot of students have joined Wangchuk along the way. At the end of the walk every day, he would ask students to go back and focus on their studies… The whole aim of this movement is to protect the Himalayas. And the Himalayas can be protected only when Ladakh is protected,” he said, standing outside the police station in solidarity.

A few students from different universities tried to meet Sonam and others at Bawana. Some succeeded, unlike Spalzin Angmo, a student and resident of Ladakh. “We were not allowed to meet him,” she said, adding that the protest seeking the release of the detainees is set to grow bigger. “There are 3,000 students from Ladakh who are studying in Delhi. If you include the number of other northeast states, it would be over 10,000. The government should release him (Wangchuk) and others before the movement becomes bigger.”

Jigment, a college student and president of Ladakh Students’ Welfare Society Delhi, hoped that the government would soon release detainees, including her brother. “The march was very peaceful. There was no violence. They did not do any dharna. We hope that the government releases them soon,” she said after meeting her brother and others.   

Other students who stood in solidarity with the protesters said that the detention struck at the roots of democracy.

“Since childhood, we have been taught that it’s our fundamental right to make our voice heard. Freedom of expression is one of the most important pillars of our democracy. Its curtailment will endanger our country,” said Tsewang Oskit, a global studies student at Ambedkar University.

“By this detention, democracy has been throttled,” said Rigzen Chospel, a life sciences student at DU.

‘Dictatorial manner’

Wangchuk and others were scheduled to stay at the Singhu border on the night of September 30. The next day, they were supposed to walk to Majnu Ka Tilla. The walk would have culminated at Rajghat.

Meanwhile, opposition leaders, activists and environmentalists have condemned the “dictatorial manner” under which prohibitory orders were issued in Delhi.

“Instead of opening a receptive dialogue with the Ladakh marchers and their supporters from all across the Himalayas and the nation, the union government chose to act in dictatorial manner by imposing prohibitory orders across Delhi and illegally detaining the peaceful climate marchers,” read a statement signed by National Alliance for People’s Movement, signed by Medha Patkar, Prafulla Samantara, Suniti SR, Soumya Dutta and Santosh Lalwani.

In the afternoon, Delhi CM Atishi also visited Bawana police station but was not allowed to meet Wangchuk. “Today the central government of the Bharatiya Janata Party leaves no stone unturned in killing democracy, snatching the right to vote. Why were they arrested? Why am I being stopped from meeting them? Because the Bharatiya Janata Party is afraid of democracy and today I am saying with confidence that if such dictatorship of the Bharatiya Janata Party continues, L-G rule will end in Ladakh, L-G rule will end in Delhi and the rule of the Bharatiya Janata Party will end in the Central government here as well,” she told reporters outside the police station.

Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi slammed the police action. “Why are elderly citizens being detained at Delhi’s border for standing up for Ladakh's future? Modi ji, as with the farmers, this ‘Chakravyuh’ will be broken, and so will your arrogance. You will have to listen to Ladakh’s voice.”

The BJP described the Congress condemnation of the detention as “hypocrisy in extreme”. "If Rahul Gandhi has a comment to make, why (does) he maintain a conspicuous silence when cartoonists are lifted in Kolkata and a satirist is jailed in Tamil Nadu," said senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad.

Newslaundry reached out to DCP (north outer) Ravi Kumar Singh for comment. This report will be updated if a response is received.