September 26, 2025 – Prominent Ladakh climate activist and education reformer Sonam Wangchuk was arrested by Leh Police on Friday, two days after violent protests demanding statehood for the region resulted in four deaths and over 80 injuries. The detention, confirmed by local authorities, comes amid accusations from the central government that Wangchuk incited the mob through provocative statements, marking a sharp escalation in the ongoing agitation for constitutional safeguards in the union territory.
Wangchuk, 59, a Ramon Magsaysay Award recipient known for his innovative SECMOL eco-school and the real-life inspiration for the character Phunsukh Wangdu in the 2009 film 3 Idiots, was taken into custody from his village residence around midday. Police invoked preventive sections, potentially leading to remand under the stringent Public Safety Act (PSA), which allows detention for up to two years without trial. Sources indicate the arrest follows a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into alleged Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) violations at his institutions, including the Students’ Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh (SECMOL) and the Himalayan Institute of Alternative Learning (HIAL).
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had on Wednesday accused Wangchuk of guiding the “mob” during clashes outside the Leh district administration office, where protesters torched vehicles and a BJP headquarters before security forces responded with tear gas and batons. “The mob was incited by Shri Sonam Wangchuk through his provocative statements,” the MHA stated, noting he ended a 15-day hunger strike and left the scene in an ambulance without de-escalating the violence. The unrest stemmed from a shutdown called by the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), pressing for Ladakh’s inclusion under the Sixth Schedule for tribal protections and statehood
Wangchuk, who has led multiple fasts and marches since 2023, dismissed the charges as a “scapegoat tactic” in interviews with The Hindu and NDTV. “I appealed for calm in Ladakhi and Hindi even as bullets flew – jailing me could spark more problems than it solves,” he said, attributing the violence to six years of youth frustration over unemployment and unfulfilled promises. He refuted FCRA allegations, claiming his organizations rely on local matching funds and contribute domestically without foreign strings.
The MHA also revoked SECMOL’s FCRA registration on Thursday, citing discrepancies in foreign fund handling deemed a violation. Probes into his February Pakistan visit and HIAL’s land allotment revocation, canceled in August, add to the scrutiny. As a High-Powered Committee meeting looms on October 6, Ladakh remains on edge, with LAB vowing peaceful continuation.
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