Activists from Himalayan states condemn Wangchuk's arrest, support his demands

New Delhi, Sep 29 (PTI) Activists from the Himalayan states on Monday condemned the arrest of 'education reformer' Sonam Wangchuk, demanding his release and extending support to his demand for statehood and its inclusion in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.

At a press conference held here by the 'People for Himalaya', a collective campaign for addressing climate disasters, the activists also warned of a "larger crisis unfolding across the Himalayan region".

Sajjad Kargili from Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), Ladakh; Atul Sati of Joshimath Bachao Sangharsh Samiti, Uttarakhand; Manshi Asher of Himdhara Collective; and Anmol Ohri of Climate Front Jammu addressed the press conference.

The activists termed the arrest of Wangchuk under the National Security Act (NSA) as an assault on democratic rights and freedom of dissent, asserting that such acts were a blatant attempt to silence the voices of the people of Ladakh who have been raising legitimate concerns about their constitutional rights, livelihoods and environment.

The organisation also condemned the violent attack on "peaceful protestors" in Leh, Ladakh on September 24, where four people were killed and over 80 were injured, of which 15 are critical.

It alleged that "excessive force" was used by opening fire and described it as an act of brutality against unarmed citizens. It demanded accountability at the highest level.

The activists also called for a high-level judicial inquiry into the violence, the resignation of the Lieutenant Governor Kavindwer Gupta and Director General of Police S D Singh Jamwal besides the immediate release of Wangchuk and all arrested leaders and the withdrawal of all charges against them.

Asher alleged that attempts were being made to "defame" the movement for inclusion of Ladakh in the Sixth Schedule and its statehood, adding that unemployment is a major issue in Himalayan states.

"The issue of unemployment is impacting the whole (of the) Himalayas. In Uttarakhand as well, youth are unhappy due to unemployment, it is an issue of livelihood that has to be linked with democracy and climate change," she said.

In a statement issued at the press conference, the activists said a larger crisis was unfolding across the Himalayan region.

It said the recent calamities in the Himalayan states cannot be dismissed only as natural disasters. They represent the compounded impact of climate change interacting with poor governance, it added.

"The monsoons of 2025 once again laid bare the vulnerability of the mountains, with devastating floods and landslides reported from Uttarkashi, Mandi, Kishtwar, Joshimath, Dharali, Siang, Ladakh and Sikkim," the statement said, and stressed that these events cannot be dismissed only as natural and climate disasters.

"Rather, they represent the compounded impact of climate change interacting with poor governance and policy making centred on reckless models of extractive development leading to the form of rapid and massive commercial tourism, unregulated infrastructure expansion, and deforestation," it said.

Sati said the disasters in the Himalayas are being triggered by human interference, which is changing, leading to disasters. "We are seeing that development activities are triggering these calamities," he said.

"Like the four-lane highway in Himachal Pradesh, or all-weather road in Uttarakhand… there were 45 landslides on the Char Dham road last year, this year it was more than 100 on that road," Sati said.

"The model of development is proving to be dangerous for the Himalayas. We are appealing that the one model of development should be stopped immediately… The bulldozer of development in the Himalayas should be stopped, else you cannot stop the crisis,' he said.

The People for Himalaya campaign was launched in 2024 after the disasters in Himachal Pradesh, Joshimath and Sikkim to advocate for pan-Himalayan awareness. PTI AO AO KSS KSS KSS