Activist Sonam Wangchuk Probed for Alleged Pakistan Links, Says Ladakh Police
Ladakh's Director General of Police has stated that prominent activist Sonam Wangchuk, recently detained under the National Security Act, is being investigated for alleged links with Pakistan. The police claim a Pakistani Intelligence Operative, arrested last month, was sending videos of Wangchuk's protests across the border. Wangchuk has been a leading voice in the agitation for Ladakh's statehood and inclusion in the Sixth Schedule. The police chief described Wangchuk as the "main instigator" of recent violent protests in Leh.
Unpacked:
Sonam Wangchuk is an innovator and education reformist, renowned for founding SECMOL, reforming Ladakh's school system, and inventing the Ice Stupa technique for water conservation. He is also known for designing sustainable campuses that run on solar energy and avoid fossil fuels for basic needs.
Ladakh’s statehood and inclusion in the Sixth Schedule are sought to grant the region greater autonomy and constitutional safeguards, particularly to protect its fragile environment and indigenous rights from unchecked industrial and mining activities.
Supporters view Wangchuk’s protests as peaceful civic movements for legitimate rights, while some media outlets and authorities have recast him as an instigator, alleging that his actions incited violence and posed a threat to national security.
Detention under the National Security Act allows authorities to hold individuals suspected of threatening national security without formal charges or trial for up to 12 months. It is often applied in cases involving alleged links to foreign agents or incitement of unrest.