The government blamed Wangchuk for the unrest, alleging his “provocative statements” and the actions of “politically motivated” groups unhappy with ongoing negotiations between officials and Ladakhi representatives had incited protesters.
Activist Sonam Wangchuk, who has been protesting for statehood of Ladakh, is arrested under the National Security Act (NSA) on Friday, days after the young protestors who gathered in support turned violent, claiming four lives.
According to the sources, Wangchuk has been shifted to Rajasthan’s Jodhpur Central Jail, sources confirmed. After completing necessary formalities at Leh airport, Wangchuk was flown on a special flight to Jodhpur and taken in a high-security cavalcade to the jail. His medical examination has been completed, and he is being kept in a high-security ward under 24-hour surveillance with CCTV monitoring.
Days after four people were killed and over 70 injured in Leh during a peaceful shutdown that turned violent, authorities accused Wangchuk of inciting the unrest while demanding statehood for Ladakh and its inclusion under the Sixth Schedule.
Following the clashes on Wednesday, Authorities imposed a curfew in Leh while Wangchuk also called off his two-week hunger strike, calling for statehood and the inclusion of Ladakh into the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.
A day later, the government blamed Wangchuk for the unrest, alleging his “provocative statements” and the actions of “politically motivated” groups unhappy with ongoing negotiations between officials and Ladakhi representatives had incited protesters.
The Ministry of Home Affairs alleged that Wangchuk’s references to the Arab Spring and Nepal Gen Z protests stirred mob fury that resulted in the local BJP office in Leh and a few government vehicles being torched.
The home ministry statement detailed the chronology of the flare-up. “On 24th September, at around 11.30 am, a mob instigated by his provocative speeches left the venue of the hunger strike and attacked a political party office as well as the government office of the CEC Leh,” it read.
Wangchuk, known for his activism in Ladakh, began an indefinite hunger strike on September 10 seeking constitutional guarantees, greater autonomy, statehood, and Sixth Schedule status for Ladakh.
The government noted that parallel channels of dialogue had been ongoing with regional groups such as the Leh Apex Body and Kargil Democratic Alliance, through a High-Powered Committee (HPC), subcommittees, and informal meetings.
It further said the talks have already borne fruit: reservation for Scheduled Tribes in Ladakh was raised from 45 per cent to 84 per cent, one-third representation for women was introduced in local councils, and Bhoti and Purgi were recognised as official languages. Recruitment for about 1,800 posts has also been initiated.
On Thursday, the government cancelled the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act licence of the Students Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh (SECMOL), an institute founded by Wangchuk, citing multiple violations of the Act in light of the violence.
However, in a sharp reaction to the government action against him, Wangchuk dismissed the allegation that he instigated the violent protests, calling it a “scapegoat tactic” to avoid addressing the region’s core issues.
“To say it was instigated by me, or sometimes by Congress, is to find a scapegoat, rather than addressing the core of the problem, and this will lead us nowhere. They may be clever in making somebody else a scapegoat, but they are not wise. At this time, we all need wisdom rather than ‘cleverness’ because people are already frustrated,” news agency PTI quoted Wangchuk as saying.
Wangchuk’s NGO was registered under the FCRA with a Registration Certificate to receive foreign contributions for cultural and educational programmes.
ARREST CONDEMNED AS ‘WITCHHUNT’
Meanwhile, the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation condemned Sonam Wangchuk’s arrest, saying it exposed the government’s witchhunting agenda.
“In an outrageous move, the Ladakh Union Territory administration, under the control of the Modi regime, has arrested prominent climate activist and educationist Sonam Wangchuk on September 26. CPI(ML) Liberation strongly condemns this arrest, which clearly exposes the government’s witch-hunting agenda and its attempt to shift blame for a crisis born of the government’s own betrayal of people’s democratic aspirations and trampling of the Constitution,” a statement said.
It further claimed that the arbitrary abrogation of Article 370 by the Modi-BJP government was a “nefarious ploy” to subjugate the people, tighten authoritarian control, and hand over Ladakh’s resources to corporates.
“We demand the immediate and unconditional release of Sonam Wangchuk. The government must immediately stop all repressive acts in Ladakh and ensure that the legitimate demands of the people are met,” the statement added.
LADAKH STATEHOOD PROTEST
The agitation, called by the youth wing of the Leh Apex Body (LAB), was part of the ongoing campaign seeking statehood for Ladakh and inclusion under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.
Ladakh was part of the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir state and became a Union Territory, coming directly under the Centre’s control, after Article 370 was abrogated on August 5, 2019. Ladakh, who welcomed the move that carved it out of the state and made it a UT, is now demanding statehood.
The call for a shutdown came after two of 15 people on a hunger strike, led by climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, since September 10 were shifted to a hospital due to deteriorating health.
After the unrest, Wangchuk ended his 15-day fast on Tuesday while urging supporters to avoid violence. He said the “Gen Z’s frenzy” disrupted the peace process.
Tension escalated when a group of youngsters allegedly pelted stones at security forces deployed to ensure calm in the area, prompting police action.
