Leh: Environmental activist and education reformer Sonam Wangchuk was arrested by Leh police on Friday in the wake of violent protests earlier this week that left four civilians dead and over 90 injured in Leh.
The arrest, confirmed by officials, comes just two days after the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued a strongly worded statement accusing Wangchuk of provoking mobs and undermining dialogue between Ladakh leaders and the Centre.
Wangchuk was taken into custody by a police party led by Ladakh Police chief S D Singh Jamwal at 2:30 pm, officials said, adding that he was subsequently lodged in a jail in Rajasthan’s Jodhpur.
While there was no official word on the charges pressed against Wangchuk, sources within the Ladakh administration indicated that the stringent National Security Act (NSA) has been invoked against the climate activist.
The Union Territory administration has also snapped mobile internet services in the Leh area as a precautionary measure.
Wangchuk, known globally for his work on sustainable education models and climate activism, has already rejected the allegations. In a video statement before his arrest, he described the government’s charges as an attempt to scapegoat him. “Jailing me will not solve the crisis. If anything, it could deepen the alienation and create more problems,” he said, maintaining that his appeals during the protests were for peace and restraint.
The arrest came a day after the Union home ministry cancelled the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) licence of the Students’ Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh (SECMOL), an organisation founded by Wangchuk, citing alleged financial discrepancies and a fund transfer deemed to be against “national interest”.
Opposition parties and civil society voices in Ladakh argued that Wangchuk’s detention would inflame rather than calm the situation. “Instead of addressing the genuine demand for constitutional safeguards, the government is targeting a respected voice of Ladakh,” said a local councillor in Leh.
