LEH, SEPTEMBER 27: The Ladakh unit of the Congress has strongly criticised the detention of climate activist and education reformer Sonam Wangchuk under the National Security Act (NSA), warning that the move will not help restore peace in the region and may instead deepen public resentment. Calling the government “terribly mistaken” if it believes that Wangchuk’s arrest will quell the ongoing agitation, the party asserted that the renowned activist has become the most visible and credible voice of Ladakh’s movement for statehood and constitutional safeguards.
Wangchuk, who was taken into custody on Friday and shifted to Jodhpur jail in Rajasthan, was detained just two days after protests demanding statehood and inclusion of Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule turned violent. The clashes, which resulted in four deaths and nearly 90 injuries, marked a major escalation in the ongoing agitation led by the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA).
In a strongly worded statement, the Congress said Wangchuk’s “only fault” was holding the ruling BJP accountable for its 2019 election promise to grant Ladakh Sixth Schedule status. He has also consistently articulated other key demands of the LAB-KDA alliance, including full statehood, separate parliamentary seats for Leh and Kargil, and government recruitment opportunities in a region that, according to government statistics, has the second-highest graduate unemployment rate in the country.
The party highlighted Wangchuk’s steadfast commitment to non-violence, describing how he followed in the footsteps of Mahatma Gandhi through peaceful protests, satyagrahas, fasts, and padyatras over the last five years. These actions, Congress leaders said, have earned him widespread respect among Ladakhis and made him a symbol of their aspirations. “It is precisely this popularity and credibility that have made him an eyesore for the central government,” the statement read.
The Congress accused the government of targeting Wangchuk and his institutions, including the Himalayan Institute of Alternatives, Ladakh (HIAL), and the Students’ Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh (SECMOL), through agencies like the Enforcement Directorate and CBI. Despite these pressures, Wangchuk continued his peaceful campaign and even undertook a 35-day fast earlier this year under the banner of the LAB.
The party further noted that Wangchuk called off his fast on September 24, when youth mobilised by the LAB’s youth wing and various religious organisations clashed with security forces, allegedly in response to administrative “high-handedness and brutality.” The violent turn of events, it said, was a result of poor handling by authorities, not incitement by Wangchuk. “This grave mishandling found a convenient scapegoat in Wangchuk and non-BJP parties, especially Congress,” the statement alleged.
Congress leaders reiterated that attempts to discredit Wangchuk through “vilification campaigns and trumped-up charges” would fail in the court of public opinion. “The people of Ladakh know who stands with them. Arresting him will not bring peace and harmony; it will only harden public sentiment,” they said, urging the government to engage with the people’s legitimate demands through dialogue rather than coercion.