For more than three decades, Sonam Wangchuk—an engineer-turned-education reformer and climate activist—was celebrated both in Ladakh and beyond for his innovative solutions to the region’s environmental and educational challenges. But on Friday, September 26, 2025, that reputation took a dramatic turn when Wangchuk was arrested by Ladakh police under the National Security Act (NSA) and swiftly transferred to Jodhpur Central Jail in Rajasthan, sparking political firestorms and igniting debates about dissent, democracy, and Ladakh’s future.
Wangchuk’s journey from a remote Leh village to the national spotlight is a story of persistent innovation and activism. Born in 1966, his early struggles with education inspired him to found the Students Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh (SECMOL), which became the region’s first green campus powered entirely by solar energy. According to The Indian Express, his work in reforming Ladakh’s government schools through ‘Operation New Hope’ in 1994 brought him close to local and national administrations, and by 2005, he was serving on the National Governing Council for elementary education.
But Wangchuk’s ingenuity didn’t stop at education. In 2013, he developed the now-famous ice stupas—artificial glaciers that store water for Ladakh’s parched summers, providing a lifeline for local farmers. His efforts to address Ladakh’s fragile ecosystem earned him the prestigious Ramon Magsaysay award in 2018. And when India and China clashed at Galwan in 2020, Wangchuk called for a boycott of Chinese goods and designed solar-heated tents for Indian soldiers stationed in extreme conditions.
Yet, as his activism deepened, so did his entanglement with politics. When the Indian government revoked Jammu and Kashmir’s special status in August 2019 and carved out Ladakh as a separate Union Territory, Wangchuk was initially optimistic. “THANK YOU PRIME MINISTER. Ladakh thanks PM Narendra Modi for fulfilling Ladakh’s longstanding dream,” he wrote in a post, as reported by The Indian Express. But optimism soon gave way to frustration as Ladakhis’ demands for constitutional safeguards and protection of land, jobs, and cultural identity went unmet.
By 2023, Wangchuk’s activism had escalated into direct confrontation with the central government. He announced a climate fast at Khardung La to highlight the impact of climate change and demand Sixth Schedule protections for Ladakh. Authorities, however, placed him under house detention. In 2024, he launched a fast-until-death, calling for constitutional safeguards and warning of threats from industrial mining lobbies—a move that, according to his wife Gitanjali Angmo, put him at odds with the Centre.
Events reached a boiling point in September 2025. On the 15th day of Wangchuk’s latest fast, violence erupted as a group of youths broke away from peaceful protests, resulting in police firing that left four dead and nearly 100 injured. The government quickly accused Wangchuk of making “provocative statements” that incited the unrest, revoked his institute’s FCRA license, and, two days later, arrested him under the NSA. According to Kashmir Media Service, police arrived at Wangchuk’s residence in Leh around 12:30 pm, searched the premises, and seized his electronic devices before informing him of his detention. He was promptly flown to Jodhpur jail, with his wife learning of his transfer only after the fact.
Wangchuk’s detention has since drawn sharp condemnation from political leaders across Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir. Omar Abdullah, National Conference leader and former Chief Minister, told reporters, “The way the government was moving against him, it seemed that something like this might happen.” He lamented that promises made to Ladakhis by New Delhi had not been kept, echoing frustrations shared by many in the region.
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti called Wangchuk’s arrest “deeply disturbing.” On X (formerly Twitter), she wrote, “A lifelong advocate of peace, sustainability and truth is being punished merely for demanding that promises be kept. Today, Leh is under curfew with the internet shut down, a grim echo of what Kashmir has long endured.” Her daughter, Iltija Mufti, described the detention as “a blow to peaceful struggle,” asserting that the BJP was seeking to disempower regions demanding constitutional safeguards.
Other opposition voices joined the chorus. Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami of the CPI(M) warned that such “repressive measures” would only inflame tensions and alienate a population seeking political rights. Congress leader Ghulam Ahmad Mir urged the government to engage with Ladakhis rather than detain their representatives, while Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge condemned the Centre’s “pathetic handling” of the situation and called for a judicial inquiry into the police firing that killed four youths.
The arrest has also exposed rifts among national opposition parties. On September 27, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) publicly criticized Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his silence on Wangchuk’s detention, accusing the Modi government of imprisoning Wangchuk on false sedition charges. Congress responded by attacking AAP’s credibility and alleging RSS influence, but reiterated its condemnation of the Centre’s actions and the need for restoring democracy in Ladakh.
For Wangchuk’s family, the ordeal is both personal and political. His wife, Gitanjali Angmo, told The Indian Express that the detention is part of a “larger pattern of harassment,” including the cancellation of land allotment to his Himalayan Institute of Alternatives, a CBI inquiry, and income tax summons. She asserted, “In no way is Wangchuk a threat to public order. For the last four years, he has been protesting in the peaceful Gandhian way. The very premise on which the detention has been done is not right.” Angmo also pointed out that Wangchuk had appealed for peace and ended his fast to help restore calm during the recent violence, adding, “He was not even aware of the whole thing.”
Angmo further highlighted that Wangchuk’s work—building heated shelters for the Indian Army, pioneering innovative education, and championing climate action—contradicts the government’s portrayal of him as a threat. She described the legal scrutiny on his institute as “selective targeting,” noting that many institutions lack signed leases but are not similarly penalized. “Anybody can see in black and white that we haven’t done anything wrong. We are funded by PSUs, who wouldn’t put their penny without checking all the papers,” she said.
In the days since Wangchuk’s arrest, Leh has been under curfew with internet services shut down—a “grim echo” of tactics used in Kashmir, as Mehbooba Mufti noted. Many in Ladakh and across the country are now watching closely to see whether the government will heed calls for dialogue or double down on its current approach.
As the dust settles, Sonam Wangchuk’s fate hangs in the balance—a symbol of Ladakh’s unresolved demands and the high stakes for dissenters in today’s India.
