India frees Ladakh activist Sonam Wangchuk after six months in jail | Conflict news

Wangchuk was jailed for demanding full statehood for Ladakh or constitutional protections for its tribal communities.

India ended the preventive detention of prominent Ladakh activist Sonam Wangchuk, releasing him six months after his arrest over protests in the Himalayan region.

The Home Ministry said in a statement on Saturday that it had decided to end Wangchuk’s detention under India’s National Security Act (NSA) “with immediate effect” after “due consideration.”

Wangchuk, 59, an environmental campaigner who became a key figure in Ladakh’s movement for greater autonomy, was detained in September and later charged with the NSA, following protests that left four people dead and dozens injured.

New Delhi had attributed the violence to “provocative speeches” by Wangchuk, who had been on hunger strike demanding full federal statehood for Ladakh or constitutional protections for its tribal communities, lands and fragile environment.

Authorities in the sparsely populated, high-altitude region bordering China and Pakistan said at the time that the order, issued by the Leh district magistrate, was necessary to “maintain public order.”

According to the NSA, a suspect can be detained for up to 12 months without being formally charged. It is unclear whether charges against Wangchuk were dropped.

The Ministry of Home Affairs said it remained “committed to fostering an environment of peace, stability and mutual trust in” Ladakh and to maintaining “meaningful dialogue with all stakeholders”.

Mustafa Haji, a lawyer for the Leh Apex Body, which led last year’s protests, told the AFP news agency that Wangchuk was released from a jail in the western city of Jodhpur on Saturday.

The decision also comes as the Supreme Court continues to hear a petition filed by Wangchuk’s wife, Gitanjali Angmo, questioning the legality of his detention.

The fate of that case remains unclear now that Wangchuk has been released.

Wangchuk, an engineer by training, is best known for pioneering water conservation projects in the Himalayas. He received the prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Award in 2018 for his environmental work and contributions to local education reform in Ladakh.

His life and work are said to have inspired a character played by Bollywood actor Aamir Khan in the popular film Three Idiots.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government separated Ladakh from Indian-administered Kashmir in 2019, imposing direct rule in both.

Ladakh has since asked New Delhi to include it in the “Sixth Schedule” of India’s constitution and have its own local legislature to make its laws and policies.

The Indian military maintains a large presence in Ladakh, which includes disputed border areas with China. Troops from the two countries clashed there in 2020, killing at least 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers.