Police on Friday detained activist Sonam Wangchuk under the Dracian National Security Act (NSA) and flew him from Leh to Jodhpur, people informed about the matter, two days after the state protest and against land security, left Ladakh and four people were killed and 100 injured.
Central government has convicted WangchukA climate worker who won the Magsay Award in 2018 and who was among its major figures Ladakh State agitation to incite clashes on Wednesday. A day later, the Union Home Ministry canceled the foreign money license of a non-governmental organization run by Wangchuk.
Wangchuk was detained by a police party led by Ladakh Police Chief SD Singh Jamwal at 2:30 pm, an officer on the condition of anonymity, saying that he was later excluded from Ladakh. Development was widely condemned by opposition parties, including Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah,
Administration snatched mobile internet services Leh Areas as a precautionary measure. There was no official word in Wangchuk’s custody, but people close to the officials, and the worker, said that the NSA-one stringent 1980 law under which the authorities could take a person into custody for up to 12 months, he was invited against 59 years old without producing in court.
Wangchuk, who first launched a hunger strike to push for the state on 10 September, but left when the violence erupted on Wednesday, called a press meat at Hotel Abduz in Leh on Friday, but failed to reach the venue.
The Vice President of Leh Apex Body (Lab), Chering Doorje said that Wangchuk never reached the press meat. “We came to know that he was either arrested from his village or somewhere close to Leh.
Wangchuk’s wife, Geetanjali Angmo said he was at his house in Uletokapo village when three senior police officers arrived, with more than a hundred police officers. “The police took him away. Later, I received a call from an inspector in Leh, who said Wangchuk was detained under the NSA,” he said. Angmo said that Vanchuk was taken to Jodhpur Central Jail. He said, “Inspector said that the prevention order was issued by the Deputy Commissioner, but they would not disclose any reason for this, nor did they provide an FIR or a copy of the detention order. The police also vandalized the house,” he said.
He accused the government of spreading a “false story”, “he was treated as a criminal without any reason,” Angmo said, alleging that his house was demolished by the police.
The NSA empowers both central and state governments to detain individuals without formal allegations if they are worked in a biased manner for national security, relations with foreign countries, public orders, or maintenance of essential services. This detention can also occur in the absence of a test and may last a maximum of 12 months, before it comes to review and it can be further extended. The Act allows authorities to detain individuals without informing the causes of their custody, but within 15 days, the prisoner should be provided with the basis of custody, as long as the government believes that such information will be revealed for national security.
Haji Mustafa, the legal lawyer for the Leh Apex Body (Lab), who has also represented Wangchuk in the past, said they will meet on Saturday to decide the future course of action.
Wangchuk had shifted to Ulakopo on Wednesday after a clash and his colleagues said that the worker was expecting his custody. “He was ready for his arrest as the statements issued by the government were just for putting every blame on him,” a colleague said on the condition of anonymity.
This development came two days later when four people were killed and during the protests of about 100 injured in Ladakh, the demand of full state for the union region and security for jobs and land. Eyewitnesses said young protesters vandalized their hundreds of pelted stones, vandalism buildings and left the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) office and a police vehicle. The police said the protesters had to resort to latency charge and tear gas shells to disperse, but Wangchuk said the police used fatal weapons.
The Union Home Ministry later said that the violence took place at 11.30 am and was brought under control by 4 pm on Wednesday. “It is clear that the crowd was instigated by Mr. Sonam Wangchuk through his provocative statements,” it said in a statement issued on Wednesday night.
On Thursday, the ministry stated that it canceled the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) license of the educational and cultural movement of students of the students, one of the organizations established by Wangchuk, with “immediate effect”.
Order said secmol received For educational programs to create awareness about the country’s stay, climate change, global warming, food security and sovereignty in 2021-22 from a foreign donor in Sweden. The ministry said, “Foreign contribution to study on the sovereignty of the nation cannot be accepted. This Act of the association is against the national interest of the country.”
The worker called the order “witch hunting” and said that unrest was due to disappointment among the common people in Ladakh. Wangchuk told PTI on Thursday, “They may be clever in making someone else a goat of sacrifice, but they are not intelligent. At this time, we all need knowledge rather than cleverly because the youth are already disappointed,” Wangchuk told PTI on Thursday, saying that he was ready to be arrested.
To ensure this, the time of investigation and its revelation – they are widely seen as one of the leaders of the movement in Ladakh, who demand more autonomy and perhaps the state – this means that action can be seen as being politically motivated.
Lab – One of the organizations engaged in conversation with the central government – said that this step was to complicate the situation rather than bringing a normal situation in the central region. Legal Advisor Haji Ghulam Mustafa said, “We have also heard of Wangchuk’s arrest, which is a very unfortunate and unstable decision from the government … I do not see his role in Wednesday’s unrest, claiming the lives of four protesters and 90 others were injured.”
Omar Abdullah condemned development. He said, “The way the central government was after him since yesterday, his arrest looked unavoidable. He (Center) made some promises to him, the way he made promises to us. I fail to understand why he cannot fulfill his promises,” he said.
Ladakh MP Hanifa Jaan condemned development and said that whatever was happening in Ladakh was due to the disappointment of the young people. “Whatever happened in Leh, it should be investigated properly. And at the same time the police set a direct fire on the protesters, which should also be investigated and the officials responsible for the firing should be made accountable. There should be a judicial inquiry” he said.
HT reached the BJP President Tashi Gelson for a response but refused to comment.
Ladakh’s UT was effectively created after the Center canceled Article 370 on August 5, 2019, which used Jammu and Kashmir for a special situation, and divided the former state into two UTS – J&A and with a Legislative Assembly and Ladakh. Since then, a wire of protests shook Ladakh and echoed in Delhi. In February 2024, thousands of people demanded state and security measures under the sixth schedule of the Constitution in other parts of Delhi, Leh and Ladakh. Wangchuk and 34 other protesters launched a hunger strike on September 10, demanding state and security under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution for the protection of land, language, employment and cultural rights. But two activists got angry after being hospitalized on Tuesday.
The government has stated that negotiations were going on between the government and the representatives in Ladakh and Kargil, which led to the beginning of high reservation, language rights and recruitment process. It was also said that the next meeting was scheduled on 6 October and a small informal meeting was planned later this week. The Home Ministry statement said on Wednesday, “However, some politically inspired people were not happy with progress … trying to vandalize the dialogue process.”
(With input from Sanjeev Jha)
