- The Ministry of Home Affairs claims activist Sonam Wangchuk played a key role in instigating protestors in Ladakh.
- He is accused of misleading locals by drawing parallels with Arab Spring uprisings and recent Gen Z protests in Nepal.
- Authorities suggest his rhetoric contributed to escalating unrest in the region.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has alleged that activist Sonam Wangchuk played a key role in inciting the recent violence in Ladakh.
According to the ministry, Wangchuk misled locals by invoking imagery, drawing parallels with the Arab Spring uprisings and citing the recent Gen Z-led protests in Nepal, thereby fueling unrest in the region.
The protests in Ladakh stem from long-pending demands by local groups for greater political autonomy. Since the region was carved out as a Union Territory in 2019 without its own legislative assembly, residents have been pressing for statehood and inclusion under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, which provides special protections and self-governance rights for tribal areas.
Protesters have also raised concerns about unemployment, underrepresentation in decision-making, protection of land rights, language recognition, and what they see as administrative neglect from the Centre.
The latest unrest was triggered by a hunger strike that began on September 10, calling for these constitutional safeguards and statehood. Tensions rose after two elderly strikers fell ill and demonstrations, led in part by young people, turned violent, including an attack on a political office in Leh. Authorities imposed curfews and used force as the situation escalated.