Protests Erupt in Ladakh After Sonam Wangchuk’s Detention by Delhi Police

Tuesday, hundreds of Leh citizens marched through the streets shouting, “Delhi Police, shame shame,” in protest of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk’s incarceration. This demonstration followed Wangchuk’s arrest, along with 125 fellow activists from Ladakh, by Delhi Police at the Singhu border on Monday. Their arrest took place amid the capital’s current prohibition orders, which are scheduled to expire on October 6.

Wangchuk’s “Delhi Chalo Padyatra” was drawing closer to the border of the city, to finish at Rajghat on October 2, the anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi’s birth. Commencing on September 1st, the march aimed to pressure the central government to take up talks with the leaders of Ladakh again. In their four-point manifesto, the demonstrators pushed for statehood, inclusion in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, the creation of a special public service commission with a fast-tracked hiring procedure, and separate Lok Sabha seats for Kargil and Leh.

Men, women, and students of all stripes came together in Leh to show their support for Wangchuk. They cried out in unison, asking to be freed and given permission to carry on his march to the nation’s capital.

Credit: ANI

Congressman Rahul Gandhi responded to the Delhi Police’s activities by posting on X (previously Twitter) with the following message: “Modi ji, like with the farmers, this ‘Chakravyuh’ will be broken, and so will your arrogance.” You must pay attention to Ladakh’s voice. He called the incarceration of senior folks “unacceptable” and opposed it. Gandhi stressed that such measures should not be taken in response to Sonam Wangchuk’s and hundreds of Ladakhis’ nonviolent protests in support of their constitutional and environmental rights.

Also Read: Delhi CM Atishi Denied Meeting with Detained Activist Sonam Wangchuk at Police Station

Sonam Wangchuk is a well-known engineer and education reformer from Ladakh who is recognized for his creative methods of teaching and promoting sustainable development. He had before held a demonstration in support of more autonomy for Ladakh on March 6 at a height of 3,500 meters in subfreezing weather.

Delhi CM Atishi Denied Meeting with Detained Activist Sonam Wangchuk at Police Station

Sonam Wangchuk, a climate activist who had been arrested the night before at the Singhu border while trying to enter the city with his followers, was not permitted to meet with Delhi Chief Minister Atishi, according to her claims on Tuesday. Wangchuk is being held at the Bawana Police Station, and Atishi visited there. She expressed her disappointment that she was not allowed to meet him.

“I came here to meet renowned environmentalist and educator Sonam Wangchuk. He was carrying 150 protestors from Ladakh to Delhi in order to create awareness. But he was detained at the Delhi border by the central government, which is run by the BJP. The people of Ladakh are against L-G leadership and are fighting for democratic rights. Atishi told reporters, “I was let into the station, but I wasn’t allowed to meet him.

Atishi was reportedly stopped outside the Bawana Police Station, according to earlier reports. According to an Aam Aadmi Party statement, she arrived to the station about 1 p.m., but police personnel prevented her from seeing Wangchuk.

The area surrounding the Bawana Police Station, which is close to the Delhi-Haryana border, is under increased security. The supporters of Wangchuk, who were also taken into custody, have been distributed around a number of other police stations near Delhi’s boundaries.

Also Read: Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi: ‘With China, You Have to Compete,’ LAC Situation ‘Not Normal’

When they were arrested, about 120 protesters from Ladakh, including Sonam Wangchuk, were marching to Delhi to demand that the Union Territory be placed on the sixth schedule. The “Delhi Chalo Padyatra,” a protest march that started in Leh a month ago, is being led by Wangchuk.

Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi: ‘With China, You Have to Compete,’ LAC Situation ‘Not Normal’

The situation at the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the de facto boundary between China and India, has been characterized by Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi as “sensitive” and “not normal.” He stressed that although things are now stable, India wants to go back to the way things were before April 2020 while speaking at the Chanakya Defence Dialogue.

Chinese armies attempted to breach the Indian side of the Line of Artemisia in April 2020, but Indian defenders successfully resisted their advance. But since then, there have continued to be problems in the eastern Ladakh region. China’s disruptive tactics have negatively harmed diplomatic relations with the United States, according to General Dwivedi. S. Jaishankar, the minister of external affairs, recently referred to India’s diplomatic relations with China as “very significantly disturbed.”

The Army Chief referred to the loss of confidence between the Chinese and Indian forces at the LAC as the “biggest casualty.” “You have to compete, cooperate, coexist, confront, and contest with China,” he clarified. Although stable, the current state of affairs is unusual and delicate.”

To end the deadlock, India and China have held several rounds of diplomatic negotiations, including two meetings in July and August. A comprehensive answer is still elusive, though. While diplomatic efforts have produced possibilities, General Dwivedi emphasized that real progress on the ground depended on military commanders on both sides.

In addition, he drew attention to China’s continuous development of communities along the LAC, branding it as “artificial immigration” and speculating about the possibility of a military maneuver along the lines of China’s actions in the South China Sea. Along the border, model villages in India are being developed with greater cooperation between the military, state governments, and the federal government. The Chief of the Army expressed confidence in these advances.

Also Read: Supreme Court Declares ‘Be It Temple or Dargah, It Has to Go’: Prioritizing Public Safety Over Religious Structures

India’s National Security Advisor, Ajit Doval, and China’s Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, met during the BRICS conference last month. Redoubling their efforts to disengage at the remaining spots of contention in eastern Ladakh was the commitment made by both parties.