Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk announced that he and fellow protesters from Ladakh region of occupied Jammu and Kashmir will embark on an indefinite hunger strike starting today, following a lack of response from the Indian government regarding their meeting their demands.

According to Kashmir Media Service, Wangchuk, who is leading the ‘Delhi Chalo Padyatra’ that commenced from Leh a month ago, made the announcement during a press conference in New Delhi. The padyatra is organized by the Leh Apex Body and the Kargil Democratic Alliance, both of which have been advocating for Sixth Schedule for the region.

‘We have written to the offices of the [Indian] President, Prime Minister, and Home Minister seeking an appointment, and we were assured we would be notified about the meeting by Friday at 5 pm. However, we have yet to receive any response from the government,’ Wangchuk stated.

Accompanied by Ladakh MP Mohmad Haneefa and other members of the Leh Apex Body and Kargil Democratic Alliance, Wangchuk expressed frustration over the lack of engagement from the Indian government.

Wangchuk, along with 150 others from Ladakh, was previously detained at Delhi’s Singhu border on Monday night. They were later taken to Mahatma Gandhi’s memorial at Rajghat before being released.