On March 14, the Narendra Modi government announced that it had decided to end Ladakhi climate activist Sonam Wangchuk’s detention under the National Security Act – nearly six months after his arrest.
The Union home ministry is not known to have made such a concession for any detainee held under the law in the past, The Hindu reported.
The 59-year-old activist was arrested in September last year, days after protesters demanding statehood for Ladakh and its inclusion in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution clashed with the police. Four civilians died in police firing and many were injured – a rare incident of violence in the cold desert region.
Out of Jodhpur jail, Wangchuk, who brought national attention to the demands of Ladakh’s population through his protests last year, struck a conciliatory note. “I never wanted to do agitations. I was forced to protest,” he said at a press conference in Delhi on Tuesday.
He denied that his release was an outcome of an understanding with the Centre. “Even if there was an offer, I would not have taken it. My agitation was not for myself but for the people of Ladakh,” he said.
In Ladakh, Wangchuk’s release is being seen as a sign of the Centre’s softening towards their demands and...
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