Ladakh’s non-violent protest movement took a dark turn today, September 26, 2025, as climate activist Sonam Wangchuk was arrested under the stringent National Security Act (NSA) by Leh Police, just two days after violent clashes in the region claimed four lives and saw the BJP office torched. Wangchuk, the 59-year-old face of the statehood and Sixth Schedule demands, was picked up from his village by a team led by Ladakh Director General of Police (DGP) S.D. Jamwal at 2:30 PM, with family members confirming he was being shifted to Jodhpur jail in Rajasthan. The arrest, invoking NSA’s provisions for long preventive detention without bail, has sparked outrage across Jammu & Kashmir and beyond, with opposition leaders slamming it as a “witch hunt” to crush dissent. The Leh Apex Body (LAB), which Wangchuk leads, decried the move as “an attack on democracy,” vowing to intensify the shutdown while Kargil joins in solidarity.
The timing is chilling. Wangchuk, hospitalized twice this week for health dips during his 16-day hunger strike that ended on September 24, had retreated to his village for recovery when the violence erupted in Leh. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) directly blamed him in a statement yesterday, accusing his “provocative speeches” – including nods to “Arab Spring-style protests” and “Gen Z uprisings in Nepal” – of inciting the mob that clashed with police, resulting in four deaths and over 60 injuries. “Despite appeals to end the hunger strike, he persisted and left for his village in an ambulance without controlling the situation,” the MHA said, also canceling the FCRA license of his NGO, SECMOL, for alleged violations like diverting funds to “study the country’s sovereignty.” Wangchuk, speaking to The Hindu before his arrest, dismissed the charges as a “scapegoat tactic,” stating, “My imprisonment could cause more problems than my freedom – I’m not afraid.” He denied provoking violence, claiming he called for calm in Ladakhi and Hindi when gunshots rang out.
The arrest has ignited a firestorm. LAB co-chairman Chering Dorjey Lakrook told PTI, “Sonam Wangchuk or Congress didn’t provoke anyone – what happened was a protest in support of the genuine demands of the youth.” The Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) extended the shutdown, closing Leh and Kargil completely – schools, markets, and roads sealed under curfew. District Magistrate Santi Ranjan Biswas imposed restrictions on gatherings, but protesters vowed to continue, with #ReleaseSonamWangchuk trending alongside #LadakhProtest. In Jammu, solidarity rallies formed, with NC’s Omar Abdullah tweeting, “Arresting the voice of peace is the real violence – free Wangchuk now.” PDP’s Mehbooba Mufti labeled it “frustration disguised as punishment,” urging the Centre to engage instead of suppressing. AAP’s Saurabh Bharadwaj, protesting at Jantar Mantar, said, “The BJP failed Ladakh for five years, now they suppress the roads’ voices.” Congress’s Jairam Ramesh called it a “diversion from BJP’s abysmal failure” to maintain order.
Wangchuk’s detention under NSA fits a troubling pattern in J&K, where the law has snared over 1,000 since 2019, per Amnesty International, with conviction rates below 3%. The activist, globally known for his 3 Idiots role as Phunsukh Wangdu and climate campaigns, began the strike on September 10 demanding statehood, Sixth Schedule protections for tribal lands, and local job quotas to halt outsider dominance. Post-Article 370, Ladakh’s hill councils lost powers, fueling fears of cultural erosion from mining and tourism. Home Minister Amit Shah met leaders in March 2024, promising safeguards, but inaction led to the boil-over on September 24, where protesters smashed windows and doused the BJP office with fuel, symbolizing betrayal. BJP spokesperson Amit Malviya stuck to his line, tweeting, “Congress-fueled anarchy – Rahul Gandhi’s vision of unrest?”
The violence left Leh a ghost town under curfew, with Kargil following suit. Police and CRPF patrols doubled, but reports of minor scuffles persist. Wangchuk’s SECMOL, focused on education and environment, lost its foreign funding license, a blow to its work. Amnesty slammed the arrest as “repressive,” calling NSA a “dark tool” violating free speech. The LAB plans more hunger strikes, with two protesters still critical at SNM Hospital.