From Modi's Admirer to Detainee: Ladakh Activist Sonam Wangchuk Arrested Under NSA Amid Deadly Autonomy Protests
Leh/Jodhpur, September 27, 2025 – In a striking turn of events that has sent shockwaves through India’s political and social landscape, renowned Ladakhi climate activist and educationist Sonam Wangchuk was detained under the draconian National Security Act (NSA) on Friday, September 26, 2025, in Srinagar. The arrest of the 59-year-old Magsaysay Award winner, once a vocal supporter of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), follows deadly protests in Leh that left four dead and over 50 injured, spotlighting simmering discontent over unfulfilled autonomy promises in the Union Territory of Ladakh. Wangchuk’s detention under the NSA—a law permitting up to two years of detention without trial—has sparked widespread outrage, with opposition leaders, activists, and locals decrying it as a heavy-handed attempt to silence dissent in a strategically vital border region.
Wangchuk, celebrated for his innovative “Ice Stupa” artificial glaciers and founding the Students’ Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh (SECMOL), was apprehended while traveling to a planned press conference in Leh. Authorities airlifted him to Jodhpur Central Jail in Rajasthan, citing his “provocative speeches” and “misleading social media videos” as incitement for the violent unrest that erupted on September 24.
The move, coupled with a preemptive revocation of SECMOL’s registration, has intensified accusations of a targeted crackdown by the BJP-led central government, which Wangchuk had previously praised for its developmental promises in Ladakh.
Deadly Protests Ignite Long-Standing Grievances
The unrest in Leh, Ladakh’s capital, erupted on Tuesday, September 24, when thousands of protesters—many from Gen Z and tribal communities—rallied under the banner of the Leh Apex Body and Kargil Democratic Alliance, demanding full statehood and constitutional protections under the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution.
The demonstration, initially peaceful, spiraled into violence as protesters torched the local BJP office, set police vehicles ablaze, and clashed with security forces. Police responded with tear gas and live ammunition, resulting in four deaths—two civilians and two policemen—and over 50 injuries, including to security personnel.
At the heart of the protests lies Ladakh’s fraught status since August 2019, when the Modi government revoked Jammu and Kashmir’s special status under Article 370, bifurcating the state into two Union Territories, including Ladakh.While initially hailed as a step toward local empowerment, the reorganization stripped Ladakh of legislative autonomy, placing it under direct central control. Locals fear this has left indigenous communities vulnerable to land grabs, cultural erosion, and unchecked industrial projects in an ecologically sensitive region. Demands for Sixth Schedule protections, which would grant tribal councils authority over land and resources, and for elected local bodies have gained urgency amid stalled tripartite talks with the Union Home Ministry, last held in July 2025 and scheduled to resume on October 6.
Wangchuk, a key negotiator in these talks, had just concluded a 14-day hunger strike in freezing Himalayan conditions to pressure the government into action. He ended the fast on September 24, hours before the protests turned deadly, insisting he had urged calm and non-violence.
However, the Ladakh administration pointed to his recent speeches, which referenced Nepal’s 2006 pro-democracy movement and the Arab Spring, as “inflammatory” and a direct catalyst for the violence.
A senior police official, speaking anonymously, claimed Wangchuk’s social media posts “mobilized youth into reckless acts,” justifying the NSA’s invocation to “avert further chaos.”
Leh remains under a strict curfew, with mobile internet suspended since Friday to curb “misinformation.” Additional paramilitary forces have been deployed to secure government buildings and border outposts, reflecting the region’s strategic proximity to China and Pakistan.
A Fallen Ally: Wangchuk’s Shift from Praise to Protest
Wangchuk’s arrest is particularly poignant given his earlier alignment with the Modi government. In 2019, he publicly thanked Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah for elevating Ladakh to Union Territory status and carving out five new districts, calling it a “momentous step” for local governance.
His advocacy for sustainable development dovetailed with Modi’s Mission LiFE, and he celebrated the Prime Minister’s swift response to his 2021 appeal for a carbon-neutral Leh Airport.
Wangchuk’s X posts from 2020-22 frequently lauded the BJP’s environmental rhetoric, earning him a reputation as a bridge between Ladakh’s aspirations and Delhi’s policies.
This harmony unraveled as promises of autonomy and protections faltered. By 2023, Wangchuk’s tone shifted, with public fasts and marches calling out the government’s inaction on the Sixth Schedule and local job reservations.
His disillusionment culminated in a viral video last month, where he appealed directly to Modi: “We trusted your vision, but Ladakh feels betrayed.” Supporters now frame his detention as a stark betrayal by the same BJP he once championed, with hashtags like #ModiBetraysSonam trending across X.
Outcry and Accusations of Repression
Wangchuk’s family expressed anguish over the arrest. His wife, Rabsang Wangchuk, revealed that police searched their home in Uley Tokpo village hours before his detention, confiscating documents and devices without a warrant.
“They took him to Jodhpur like a criminal, with no explanation. After his hunger strike, he’s frail—where’s the humanity?” she said in a tearful statement shared by SECMOL volunteers.
The family has demanded immediate medical access, citing his recent health strain.
Opposition parties seized on the arrest to lambast the BJP’s governance. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh called it a “desperate witch hunt” to distract from failures in Ladakh, accusing the government of “criminalizing dissent to hide its incompetence.”TMC’s Sagarika Ghose drew parallels to clampdowns in Kashmir, labeling the NSA’s use “anti-national in spirit.”
AAP’s Arvind Kejriwal tweeted, “Arresting a Gandhian like Sonam Wangchuk under NSA? This is Modi’s dictatorship unmasked.”
Left parties, including CPI(M), demanded his release, citing the NSA’s chilling effect on free speech.
Solidarity protests have erupted in Delhi, Mumbai, and Leh, with students and environmentalists rallying under “Free Sonam Wangchuk” banners. Amnesty International flagged the detention as part of a broader pattern of “arbitrary arrests” in India, urging global attention.
On X, users have amplified Wangchuk’s plight, with posts garnering thousands of shares decrying the irony of a Modi supporter facing such measures.
Government’s Stance and Uncertain Future
The Ladakh administration justified the arrest as necessary to “restore public order” after the “anarchic” protests, accusing Wangchuk of rejecting dialogue offers.
A Home Ministry official, speaking off-record, hinted at “external influences” in the unrest, citing Ladakh’s geopolitical sensitivity near the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China. The BJP has avoided addressing Wangchuk’s past support, instead framing the violence as “orchestrated” to destabilize the region.With Wangchuk facing potential detention until 2027 under the NSA, and talks with Delhi hanging in limbo, Ladakh’s unrest signals deeper fault lines in India’s federal framework. His arrest not only risks alienating a region of 300,000 but also casts a shadow over the BJP’s narrative of inclusive development. As supporters vow to escalate protests, the saga of a climate hero turned detainee underscores a nation grappling with the cost of broken promises.
This report draws from official statements, local sources in Leh, and social media updates as of 12:36 PM IST, September 27, 2025.
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