BREAKING NEWS: Climate Activist Sonam Wangchuk Arrested

LADAKH –  In a dramatic escalation of the ongoing crisis in Ladakh, renowned climate activist and education reformer Sonam Wangchuk was arrested by Leh Police on Friday afternoon, just two days after violent clashes over demands for statehood and constitutional safeguards left four dead and over 90 injured.

The arrest, carried out under the stringent National Security Act (NSA), has ignited widespread condemnation from opposition leaders, civil society, and human rights groups.

Wangchuk, 59, the engineer-turned-activist who inspired the character Phunsukh Wangdu in the Bollywood hit “3 Idiots”, was taken into custody around 2:30 PM by a police team led by Ladakh DGP S.S. Jamwal, mere moments before he was scheduled to address a press conference in Leh.

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Media report said  that  stringent sections of the law, including those related to inciting mob violence, have been slapped against him.

The activist, known for his innovative “Ice Stupas” – artificial glaciers to combat water scarcity – and founding the solar-powered SECMOL campus, has been a vocal face of Ladakh’s non-violent movement for autonomy.

The dramatic turn of events follows a deadly shutdown on Wednesday, September 24, called by the Leh Apex Body (LAB) to press for Ladakh’s inclusion under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution – granting tribal protections against land grabs and mining – and full statehood, promises allegedly reneged on since the region’s bifurcation from Jammu and Kashmir in 2019.

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What began as a peaceful hunger strike by Wangchuk and supporters spiraled into chaos when two fellow protesters collapsed from exhaustion, sparking youth-led fury. Protesters torched the local BJP office, set a CRPF vehicle ablaze, and clashed with security forces, prompting tear gas, live rounds, and a curfew clampdown. At least 50 others have been detained in connection with the unrest.

Adding fuel to the fire, the Union Home Ministry revoked the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) license of Wangchuk’s NGO, Students’ Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh (SECMOL), on Thursday, citing “national interest” violations like fund diversions and unauthorized foreign remittances totaling over Rs 8 crore.

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Wangchuk, who ended his 15-day fast amid the violence, had warned just a day earlier that his arrest could “cause more problems than free Sonam Wangchuk,” accusing authorities of scapegoating him for the unrest. The LAB has distanced itself from the violence, insisting Wangchuk’s campaign remained Gandhian and non-violent.

Internet services in Leh were snapped shut hours after the arrest, heightening fears of further crackdowns as a planned dialogue between protesters and government officials loomed for later today.

Opposition voices erupted in protest, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah called the move “unfortunate,” praising Wangchuk as a “respected Gandhian thinker” who has never endorsed violence.

Congress leader Ghulam Ahmad Mir echoed the sentiment, questioning the NDA government’s reversal on previously approved foreign funding for the activist.

On X, hashtags like #FreeSonamWangchuk and #LadakhProtests trended globally, with users slamming the arrest as an assault on eco-activism and indigenous rights.

Wangchuk’s journey from a Leh native studying in Srinagar and Delhi to a global icon of sustainable innovation – including solar tents for the Indian Army and a 21-day “climate fast” in March 2024 – now hangs in the balance.

As Ladakh simmers under curfew, with youth unemployment at 60% and glaciers melting at alarming rates due to unchecked development, his detention raises stark questions: Is this the end of a peaceful era, or the spark for a fiercer uprising?