India Ends Preventive Detention of Ladakh Activist Sonam Wangchuk

The agency reports that India ended the preventive detention of prominent Ladakh engineer Sonam Wangchuk on Saturday.

Wangchuk, 59, who played a major role in the agitation for greater autonomy for Ladakh, was arrested last September under India's National Security Act. Four people died and dozens were injured during the agitation.

New Delhi had accused Wangchuk of inciting violence due to his 'inflammatory speech' while he was on a hunger strike demanding that Ladakh be granted full Union Territory status and constitutional protection for tribal communities, land, and the fragile environment.

Officials in the sparsely populated, high-altitude region of Ladakh, which borders China and Pakistan, stated at the time that the order issued by the Leh District Magistrate was necessary to maintain public order.

Under India's stringent National Security Act, any suspect can be held in custody for up to 12 months without formal charges.

The Home Ministry issued a statement on Saturday announcing the decision to end Wangchuk's detention with immediate effect. It remains unclear whether the charges against Wangchuk have been dropped. Mustafa Haji, a lawyer from the Leh High Court who led the protests last year, confirmed that Wangchuk was released from a jail in the western city of Jodhpur.

The Home Ministry stated that it is committed to fostering an environment of peace, stability, and mutual trust in Ladakh and is committed to meaningful dialogue with all stakeholders. This decision came even as the Supreme Court continued to hear a petition filed by Wangchuk's wife, Geetanjali Angmo, challenging the legality of his detention.

The future of the case is now uncertain following Wangchuk's release. Wangchuk, an engineer by profession, is known for his pioneering projects in water conservation in the Himalayas. He received the prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Award in 2018 for his environmental work and contributions to improving local school education in Ladakh. His life and work are said to have inspired the role played by Bollywood actor Aamir Khan in the film '3 Idiots'.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government bifurcated Ladakh from Indian-administered Kashmir in 2019, imposing direct rule over both. Since then, Ladakh has been calling on New Delhi to include it in the 'Sixth Schedule' of the Indian Constitution and grant it its own local legislature to formulate its laws and policies. The Indian Army maintains a large presence in Ladakh, which has areas of disputed borders with China.

At least 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers were killed in clashes between the two armies in 2020.