The Crossbill Team
Climate activist and educator Sonam Wangchuk’s arrest under the National Security Act (NSA) on September 26 has sparked a wave of outrage across the Opposition, with leaders accusing the Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government of silencing dissent through draconian laws and descending into dictatorship.
His detention came just two days after the Union home ministry alleged that Wangchuk had incited protests in Leh, during which four civilians were killed in firing by security forces.
The Congress, in a statement released by MP and general secretary (media in-charge) Jairam Ramesh on X, said that Wangchuk’s arrest was an attempt to “divert attention” from the BJP’s failures in Ladakh.
“The Indian National Congress condemns the arrest of noted environmentalist and educationist Sonam Wangchuk under the National Security Act. This has been done to divert attention and responsibility from the BJP’s abysmal failure to maintain law and order and ensure security of life and property in the Union Territory of Ladakh. The crux of the issue is that the BJP has deceived the people of Ladakh for years. It promised the region Sixth Schedule status in the 2020 Leh Hill Council Elections and has gone back on that promise with a vengeance. It claimed that it gave Ladakh autonomy from the larger Jammu and Kashmir but has really ended all semblance of democracy in the Union Territory. The Modi Government cannot brush these issues away or suppress them by arresting Mr. Wangchuk. It needs to engage with the people of Ladakh in sincerity and with alacrity.,” the statement read.
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) spokesperson Manoj Kumar Jha described the arrest as a “disturbing marker” of the country’s democratic decline, calling India an Orwellian state.
“The arrest of Sonam Wangchuk under the National Security Act (NSA) is not just a headline but a disturbing marker of where India stands today. It signals that what was once feared as the creeping shadow of an Orwellian state has already settled firmly into the fabric of governance. This is not just about his arrest alone but the normalization of extraordinary laws, meant for rare and extreme situations, being used to stifle dissent and silence those who raise inconvenient questions. Wangchuk, known for his environmental activism and advocacy for Ladakh’s rights, embodies a voice of conscience. By detaining him under NSA, the state is sending a chilling message: dissent equals danger, activism equals subversion,” he said in a post on X.
He added: “India has moved beyond the slippery slope – we are in the territory where surveillance, silencing, and criminalising of democratic expression have become part of the political grammar. The Orwellian phrase ‘thoughtcrime’ is no longer a metaphor in our times but an everyday reality. Citizens are not just being judged for what they do, but for what they dare to think and say against authority.”
Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah called Wangchuk’s arrest unfortunate and questioned the Centre’s decision to renege on its promises to Ladakh.
“It is unfortunate. Given the way the central government has been after them since yesterday, it seemed like something like this might happen. They were made promises, just like we were. Now I don’t understand what compels the central government to go back on their promises,” Abdullah told reporters.
The CPI(M) too condemned the government’s actions, saying in a statement: “Instead of engaging in meaningful dialogue, the central government chose to respond with forceful arrests of the hunger strikers, which only led to widespread protests and unrest among the people. Even after creating the circumstances which are responsible for this violence in a traditionally peaceful place, the Central Government is now blaming the agitators.”
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) echoed these criticisms, declaring that Wangchuk’s arrest for speaking up for Ladakh’s rights exposed the government’s authoritarian turn.
“The Aam Aadmi Party opposes this step by the Modi government. We stand with the people of Ladakh in this fight,” the party said.
Former Delhi chief minister and AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal remarked: “Today in our country, dictatorship is at its peak. The end of those who practice dictatorship and arrogance is very bad.”
Wangchuk’s detention followed a series of actions by the Centre against him. Just a day earlier, the home ministry cancelled the FCRA licence of his organisation, the Students Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh.
The Union government had also scrapped a 40-year land lease granted to his Himalayan Institute of Alternatives, Ladakh, citing lapses in formal agreements and delays in execution.
After the September 24 protests, the MHA claimed that the “mob was incited” by Wangchuk’s “provocative statements.”
The CPI(ML) said the move exposed the government’s “witch-hunting agenda.”
“The repression in Ladakh makes it plain that the arbitrary abrogation of Article 370 by Modi-BJP government was a nefarious ploy to subjugate the people, tighten authoritarian control, and hand over Ladakh’s resources to corporates. Instead of addressing people’s legitimate demands for statehood, Sixth Schedule status, employment, and protection of land and environment, the regime has resorted to false charges and scapegoating Wangchuk for the September 24 protests, which saw at least four people killed in police firing,” it said.
Wangchuk and several activists had been on a hunger strike since September 10 to press for Ladakh’s democratic and environmental rights. He ended his fast after the September 24 violence in which civilians lost their lives.
His detention came just two days after the Union home ministry alleged that Wangchuk had incited protests in Leh, during which four civilians were killed in firing by security forces.
The Congress, in a statement released by MP and general secretary (media in-charge) Jairam Ramesh on X, said that Wangchuk’s arrest was an attempt to “divert attention” from the BJP’s failures in Ladakh.
“The Indian National Congress condemns the arrest of noted environmentalist and educationist Sonam Wangchuk under the National Security Act. This has been done to divert attention and responsibility from the BJP’s abysmal failure to maintain law and order and ensure security of life and property in the Union Territory of Ladakh. The crux of the issue is that the BJP has deceived the people of Ladakh for years. It promised the region Sixth Schedule status in the 2020 Leh Hill Council Elections and has gone back on that promise with a vengeance. It claimed that it gave Ladakh autonomy from the larger Jammu and Kashmir but has really ended all semblance of democracy in the Union Territory. The Modi Government cannot brush these issues away or suppress them by arresting Mr. Wangchuk. It needs to engage with the people of Ladakh in sincerity and with alacrity.,” the statement read.
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) spokesperson Manoj Kumar Jha described the arrest as a “disturbing marker” of the country’s democratic decline, calling India an Orwellian state.
“The arrest of Sonam Wangchuk under the National Security Act (NSA) is not just a headline but a disturbing marker of where India stands today. It signals that what was once feared as the creeping shadow of an Orwellian state has already settled firmly into the fabric of governance. This is not just about his arrest alone but the normalization of extraordinary laws, meant for rare and extreme situations, being used to stifle dissent and silence those who raise inconvenient questions. Wangchuk, known for his environmental activism and advocacy for Ladakh’s rights, embodies a voice of conscience. By detaining him under NSA, the state is sending a chilling message: dissent equals danger, activism equals subversion,” he said in a post on X.
He added: “India has moved beyond the slippery slope – we are in the territory where surveillance, silencing, and criminalising of democratic expression have become part of the political grammar. The Orwellian phrase ‘thoughtcrime’ is no longer a metaphor in our times but an everyday reality. Citizens are not just being judged for what they do, but for what they dare to think and say against authority.”
Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah called Wangchuk’s arrest unfortunate and questioned the Centre’s decision to renege on its promises to Ladakh.
“It is unfortunate. Given the way the central government has been after them since yesterday, it seemed like something like this might happen. They were made promises, just like we were. Now I don’t understand what compels the central government to go back on their promises,” Abdullah told reporters.
The CPI(M) too condemned the government’s actions, saying in a statement: “Instead of engaging in meaningful dialogue, the central government chose to respond with forceful arrests of the hunger strikers, which only led to widespread protests and unrest among the people. Even after creating the circumstances which are responsible for this violence in a traditionally peaceful place, the Central Government is now blaming the agitators.”
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) echoed these criticisms, declaring that Wangchuk’s arrest for speaking up for Ladakh’s rights exposed the government’s authoritarian turn.
“The Aam Aadmi Party opposes this step by the Modi government. We stand with the people of Ladakh in this fight,” the party said.
Former Delhi chief minister and AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal remarked: “Today in our country, dictatorship is at its peak. The end of those who practice dictatorship and arrogance is very bad.”
Wangchuk’s detention followed a series of actions by the Centre against him. Just a day earlier, the home ministry cancelled the FCRA licence of his organisation, the Students Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh.
The Union government had also scrapped a 40-year land lease granted to his Himalayan Institute of Alternatives, Ladakh, citing lapses in formal agreements and delays in execution.
After the September 24 protests, the MHA claimed that the “mob was incited” by Wangchuk’s “provocative statements.”
The CPI(ML) said the move exposed the government’s “witch-hunting agenda.”
“The repression in Ladakh makes it plain that the arbitrary abrogation of Article 370 by Modi-BJP government was a nefarious ploy to subjugate the people, tighten authoritarian control, and hand over Ladakh’s resources to corporates. Instead of addressing people’s legitimate demands for statehood, Sixth Schedule status, employment, and protection of land and environment, the regime has resorted to false charges and scapegoating Wangchuk for the September 24 protests, which saw at least four people killed in police firing,” it said.
Wangchuk and several activists had been on a hunger strike since September 10 to press for Ladakh’s democratic and environmental rights. He ended his fast after the September 24 violence in which civilians lost their lives.
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