Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk crosses 100 days in jail under NSA
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New Delhi: Ladakhi climate activist Sonam Wangchuk has now spent more than 100 days in detention at a Jodhpur jail under the National Security Act (NSA). He was taken into custody on September 26 following unrest that broke out after a protest in Ladakh demanding statehood and Sixth Schedule protections. While the demonstration was initially peaceful, it later turned violent, leaving four people with gunshot injuries and around 90 others wounded.
The Supreme Court last heard the matter on December 8 and had scheduled the next hearing for December 15, but the case could not be taken up due to lack of time. The appeal filed by Wangchuk’s wife, Gitanjali Angmo, has since been listed for hearing on January 7.
Angmo has said the prolonged detention has been extremely stressful, noting that this was the first time she was dealing with a legal battle of such scale, effectively taking on the Union government. She pointed out that although the NSA allows detention for up to 12 months, the authorities did not need to take over 100 days to reach a decision, adding that she had repeatedly highlighted delays by the government.
She remarked that while such delays may seem routine for the authorities, each passing day translates into weeks and months of continued incarceration for Wangchuk, The Wire reported.
Angmo also spoke about the impact of the case on the Himalayan Institute of Alternative Learning (HIAL), which she co-founded with Wangchuk. She said that apart from pursuing the Supreme Court case, she has been dealing with summons and inquiries from multiple agencies, including the Income Tax Department, the Enforcement Directorate and the GST authorities, while also remotely overseeing the functioning of the institute. She added that a second line of leadership has been managing HIAL effectively in their absence.
Wangchuk’s lawyer, Mustafa Haji, questioned the basis of his detention, arguing that his only act was reminding the government of its own assurances regarding Sixth Schedule protections and constitutional safeguards for Ladakh. He said the government had failed to appreciate the concerns of Ladakh and its traditionally peace-oriented population.
Meanwhile, the Apex Body Leh (ABL) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) have stated that Wangchuk’s release is a prerequisite for any dialogue with the Union government on Ladakh’s statehood and Sixth Schedule demands. They have also called for amnesty for all individuals detained following the September 24 protest.
On December 8, the Union government opposed Wangchuk’s request to participate virtually in the Supreme Court proceedings, arguing that allowing such access would set an unhealthy precedent by encouraging other detainees or convicts to seek similar concessions. It also resisted his plea to appear before the court through video conferencing.