Ladakh Statehood Activist Sonam Wangchuk Arrested Under NSA

Ladakh’s most prominent statehood activist and Ramon Magsaysay Award winner Sonam Wangchuk has been arrested under the stringent National Security Act (NSA), just a day after publicly stating he would be “happy to be arrested for this cause.”

Government sources confirmed that Wangchuk faces preventive detention under the NSA — a law that allows incarceration without bail for extended periods. He is expected to be moved out of Ladakh late tonight or by tomorrow morning.

The arrest coincides with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) cancelling the FCRA registration of Wangchuk’s non-profit, the Students Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh (SECMOL), blocking its ability to receive foreign funding.

Authorities allege that Wangchuk incited a mob through provocative statements, leading to violence two days ago that left four dead and over 50 injured, including security personnel.

“The Centre has been actively engaging with Apex Body Leh (ABL) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) through a high-powered committee, yielding significant results. But politically motivated individuals have been trying to derail the process,” the MHA said in a statement.

Officials said Wangchuk broke his fast and left for his village amid the unrest “without making serious efforts to control the situation.”

Wangchuk has dismissed the allegations, asserting that his organisation does not receive foreign donations but conducts legitimate business transactions with global institutions and pays all taxes.

Before his arrest, he had declared that he was ready for jail, saying that his imprisonment would “awaken more people about how the country is being run.”

Opposition leaders have sharply criticised the move. Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah called the arrest “unfortunate” and said the BJP had failed to prevent Ladakh’s crisis from spiralling.

Congress leader Ghulam Ahmad Mir added that the government was “hiding its failure” by targeting Wangchuk instead of addressing Ladakh’s statehood demands.

Once enthusiastic about Union Territory status after Article 370’s abrogation in 2019, Ladakh has seen growing resentment over the lack of political autonomy. Joint platforms of Leh and Kargil leaders have been pressing for statehood and Sixth Schedule protections to safeguard the region’s land, jobs, and culture.

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