Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk has been arrested under the stringent National Security Act (NSA) and transferred to Jodhpur Central Jail. He has been placed in a high-security ward with 24-hour surveillance via CCTV cameras. This jail also houses Asaram Bapu, though in a separate ward. The action comes two days after violent protests demanding statehood and constitutional safeguards for Ladakh, which resulted in four fatalities and 90 injuries in the Union Territory.
In response to the unrest, the Ladakh administration has suspended all mobile internet connections in the Leh district. Wangchuk’s arrest occurred unexpectedly, as he was scheduled to address a press conference in Leh at 2:30 PM on Friday. When he failed to arrive, organizers became concerned. It was later revealed that a team of Ladakh Police, led by Director General of Police S.D. Singh Jamwal, had arrested Sonam Wangchuk from his village, Uleytokpo.
Following the events, the organizers continued the press conference, acknowledging that the recent violence was caused by youth who had gone out of control but dismissed any foreign involvement. Chering Dorje, the co-chair of the Leh Apex Body (LAB), dismissed foreign involvement in the violence and called for a judicial investigation into the Wednesday incident, which claimed four lives.
Dorje stated that the police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel opened fire on protestors without utilizing methods such as water cannons or warning shots. He added that if the Ministry of Home Affairs does not call for timely dialogue, they will escalate the movement. He reiterated that their movement would remain peaceful and non-violent.
Sonam Wangchuk initiated a 35-day hunger strike on September 10, with a joint prayer meeting, followed by an invitation from the Centre for October 6. Meanwhile, an uneasy calm has settled over the Himalayan region. Curfew remained in effect in Leh for the third consecutive day, and no untoward incidents were reported across the Union Territory.
Curfew was imposed after widespread violence on Wednesday evening, which erupted during protests demanding the state status and the extension of the Sixth Schedule to Ladakh, to advance talks with the Center, and resulted in four deaths. A police official reported that the security situation across Ladakh is peaceful. Restrictions may be eased later in the day to allow people to purchase essential items.
Over 50 people were detained after the clashes, and prohibitory orders restricting gatherings of five or more individuals have been enforced in other major towns of the Union Territory, including Kargil. A high-level team from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has arrived in Leh to review the situation.
Wangchuk’s arrest occurred one day after the Ministry of Home Affairs revoked the FCRA license of his organization, the Students Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh (SECMOL), citing alleged financial irregularities. Opposition leaders have strongly reacted to Wangchuk’s arrest, a key figure in the five-year-long movement for Ladakh’s rights, holding the central government responsible for handling the situation.
Expressing a strong reaction to the arrest, Wangchuk’s wife, Gitanjali Angmo, accused the government of spreading false narratives to tarnish his image. She alleged that he was treated like a criminal without cause. She also claimed that the police had vandalized their home.
She questioned the principles of the BJP, stating that they are not Hindu in any way. She also claimed that the BJP’s foundation rests on lies. Some opposition parties have alleged that the arrest clearly highlights the government’s ‘selective action against people and a policy of suppressing dissent.’
Omar Abdullah, the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, called the arrest ‘unfortunate’ and accused the BJP-led central government of reneging on promises made in the 2020 Mountain Council elections. Abdullah said the Centre’s actions were a betrayal of the people of Ladakh. Congress General Secretary and party communications in-charge Jairam Ramesh, in a post on ‘X,’ stated that the Congress condemns the arrest of Sonam Wangchuk under the National Security Act.
