Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk has defiantly stated that his imprisonment would create greater difficulties for the government than his freedom, pushing back against the Union Home Ministry’s allegations that he instigated this week’s deadly protests in Leh.
The prominent campaigner labelled the government’s accusations a “scapegoat tactic” that ignores the deep-seated frustrations driving the unrest.
Wangchuk was responding directly to a late-night statement from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), which claimed the violence was fuelled by his “provocative statements”.
In an interview with PTI, the activist said he was prepared for arrest under the stringent Public Safety Act (PSA). “I see they are building up a case to bring me under the Public Safety Act and throw me in jail for two years,” he said. “I am ready for that, but Sonam Wangchuk in jail may cause them more problems than free Sonam Wangchuk.”
The clashes on Wednesday, described by officials as the region’s worst since 1989, saw groups of youths vandalise property, torch vehicles and attack the headquarters of the BJP and the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council.
According to a TOI report, the violence resulted in four fatalities and left at least 80 people injured, including 40 police personnel. Authorities imposed a curfew in Leh to restore order, with paramilitary forces using teargas to disperse mobs.
Wangchuk, who ended his fortnight-long hunger strike as the unrest spread, firmly rejected the government’s narrative. He attributed the explosion of anger to long-standing grievances, particularly youth unemployment and unmet promises, rather than individual provocation.
“To say it (the violence) was instigated by me, or sometimes by Congress, is to find a scapegoat, rather than addressing the core of the problem and this will lead us nowhere,” he told PTI.
The government’s statement, as reported by TOI, alleged that “certain politically motivated individuals were not happy with the progress made under [the] High Powered Committee (HPC)” and had attempted to “sabotage the dialogue process.” The HPC, which is engaged in talks with the Leh Apex Body and Kargil Democratic Alliance, is scheduled to meet again on October 6.
However, Wangchuk accused the government of misleading the public by highlighting partial job reservations while ignoring the core demands of the movement he spearheads: full statehood for Ladakh and its inclusion in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution to protect its tribal identity and fragile ecosystem.
“They may be clever in making somebody else a scapegoat, but they are not wise. At this time, we all need wisdom rather than 'cleverness' because youths are already frustrated,” he asserted.
Ladakh’s Lieutenant Governor, Kavinder Gupta, termed the events “heart-wrenching,” stating that while peaceful protest is a democratic right, the violence was not spontaneous but the “result of a conspiracy.” He vowed that those responsible would not be spared. The curfew remains in place as a precautionary measure.
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