NEW DELHI/JODHPUR, March 14 -- Eminent climate activist Sonam Wangchuk was released from the central jail in Rajasthan's Jodhpur on Saturday, six months after he was detained under the stringent National Security Act (NSA) for allegedly inciting violence in the Union Territory of Ladakh.
An official said Wangchuk's wife, Gitanjali J Angmo, received him as he walked free hours after the Union home ministry revoked his detention. After the paperwork, Wangchuk left with Angmo in a private vehicle around 1pm.
Wangchuk, 59, was accused of misleading people through provocative mention of Arab Spring-style protests. The Union Home Ministry revoked his detention with "immediate effect," citing the need to facilitate "constructive and meaningful dialogue with all stakeholders."
The release came days before the Supreme Court is set to hear on March 17 a habeas corpus petition of Angmo over the activist's incarceration under the 1980 law, which allows detention for up to 12 months without trial.
Wangchuk was detained on September 26, two days after the protests over demands for statehood for Ladakh turned violent, leaving four people dead and 45 injured. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) also launched a preliminary inquiry against an institute that Wangchuk founded.
The activist was kept in Jodhpur Central Jail, where he had already undergone nearly half of the detention period stipulated under the Act, according to a statement issued by the Centre announcing the decision to revoke his detention "with immediate effect".
"He was released from jail at about 1 pm today following an order from the central government," Ratanada Police Station SHO Dinesh Lakhawat said in Jodhpur. The decision, the Centre said, was to foster an environment of peace and mutual trust in Ladakh to facilitate constructive dialogue with all stakeholders. In its official statement, the government reiterated its commitment to foster an environment of peace, stability and mutual trust in Ladakh to facilitate constructive and meaningful dialogue with all stakeholders.
"In furtherance of this objective, and after due consideration, the Government has decided to revoke the detention of Sonam Wangchuk with immediate effect by exercising the powers available under the National Security Act," it said.
Reiterating its "commitment" to provide all necessary safeguards for Ladakh, the government expressed hope that the issues concerning the region will be resolved through constructive engagement and dialogue, including through the "mechanism of the High-Powered Committee", constituted to address the concerns of the people of Ladakh, and other appropriate platforms.
Two days ago, Wangchuk had written on X that a just future for Ladakh would require sincere dialogue. "I have not stepped away from activism. My commitment to Ladakh remains unchanged... But activism must serve a larger purpose: a just, lasting future for Ladakh. It will require clarity, unity, and sincere dialogue.
"Our struggle has always been for Ladakh's protection, dignity, and long-term well-being and shall continue to be!!" he had said.
Vivek Tankha, Congress leader and lawyer for Wangchuk, asserted that he is a nationalist and his role will be crucial for Ladakh's security and stability. Newly sworn-in Ladakh Lt. Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena welcomed the Centre's decision, calling it a "positive step", but underlined that "there is no place for agitation, bandhs, or violence in Ladakh. Such actions do not contribute to meaningful progress."
"Instead, the path of cooperation and peaceful engagement should be followed to achieve lasting solutions," he said in a statement issued by Lok Bhavan.
The Leh Apex Body (LAB) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), which are spearheading the agitation over demands for statehood for Ladakh and its inclusion under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, termed the release a "big victory" for the people of Ladakh, saying it vindicated their stand on his innocence and removed the anti-national blot on the region.
The LAB and KDA remain engaged in talks with the Ministry of Home Affairs over their key demands of statehood and Sixth Schedule inclusion, issues that have simmered since the region was carved out of Jammu and Kashmir as a Union Territory in 2019.
The last meeting of the high-powered committee chaired by Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai took place on February 4, where both bodies demanded the release of Wangchuk, among other demands.
"This is not just about Wangchuk but about the whole of Ladakh. We had maintained from the start that the allegations against him, including the anti-national charge, were baseless. Today, Ladakh stands vindicated," LAB Co-Chairman Chering Dorjey said in Leh. He said the movement for Ladakh's political demands would continue despite the release.
Calling the development a major relief, he said the people of Ladakh felt hurt by the anti-national allegations made against them. "We are among the most nationalist people in the country, yet we were branded anti-national for the first time. It was a serious blot on Ladakh.
Welcoming the revocation of the NSA against Wangchuk, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah called for the release of those arrested in the valley during the recent anti-US and anti-Israel protests.
Abdullah noted that just like Wangchuk's case, those facing minor charges or those who have spent longer in jail than their sentence would otherwise be should be released as well.
"We welcome the release of Sonam Wangchuk. But others also need to be released, and the government should also take back the cases filed against people who participated in the protests," Ladakh MP Mohamad Hanifa said. He said that the protest was a constitutional right and urged the government to pursue dialogue.
PDP president Mehbooba Mufti said the stringent law should never have been invoked against the environmentalist.
Jammu and Kashmir Congress also welcomed the release of the innovator activist and questioned the circumstances that led to his detention for more than six months "without clear justification".
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.