New Delhi: Detained climate activist and education reformer Sonam Wangchuk has conveyed from Jodhpur Central Jail, where he is being held under the National Security Act (NSA), that he is willing to remain in custody until an independent judicial inquiry is conducted into the deaths of four people during the recent violence in Ladakh.
According to his lawyer Mustafa Haji and elder brother Ka Tsetan Dorjey Ley, who met him on Saturday, Wangchuk expressed solidarity with the Apex Body and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), reiterating support for their demand for Sixth Schedule status and statehood for Ladakh. He indicated that he fully backed any decision the two groups take in pursuit of these constitutional demands.
The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on Monday a petition filed by Wangchuk’s wife, Gitanjali J Angmo, which challenges his detention under the NSA and calls for his immediate release, TNIE reported.
Wangchuk was taken into custody on September 26, two days after protests over Ladakh’s status turned violent, leaving four people dead and around 90 injured.
Both the Apex Body and KDA have since pulled out of talks with the Centre, insisting that they will not rejoin discussions until the detained activists are freed and a judicial probe is announced.
He also conveyed gratitude for the support and prayers he has received, saying he was in good physical and mental health. He extended condolences to the families of those killed in the violence and expressed concern for the injured and arrested.
At the same time, he urged people to maintain unity and pursue their struggle peacefully, in the spirit of Gandhian non-violence.