Civil society group People for Himalaya on Monday said that the arrest of activist Sonam Wangchuk was an assault on democratic rights and the freedom to dissent.

The group alleged that the arrest of Wangchuk under the National Security Act on Friday was 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”.

Wangchuk should be released immediately and charges against him must be withdrawn, the group demanded during a press conference.

Four persons were killed in police firing during protests on Wednesday demanding statehood for Ladakh and its inclusion in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution. Demonstrators clashed with and threw stones at the police, and set fire to the Bharatiya Janata Party office and a police vehicle.

The Sixth Schedule of the Constitution guarantees protection for land and nominal autonomy for citizens in designated tribal-dominated areas. In Ladakh, more than 97% of the population belongs to the Scheduled Tribes.

The Union government has claimed that the violence was incited by “provocative statements” made by Wangchuk.

People for Himalaya alleged that the use of excessive force against the protesters was an “act of brutality against unarmed citizens” and demanded a high-level judicial inquiry into the violence. The group also demanded the resignation of the Lieutenant Governor Kavinder Gupta and the police chief.

Ladakh Director General of Police SD Singh Jamwal on Saturday claimed that security forces were compelled to open fire on the protesters as failing to take the action could have resulted in the entire city being “burned to the ground”.

Jamwal also claimed that the violence was without precedent, adding that “vested interests” and Wangchuk were to be blamed for it.

‘Meaningful, productive dialogue needed’

At the press conference on Monday, Sajjad Kargili of the Kargil Democratic Alliance, Ladakh, said that there should be a “meaningful and productive” dialogue for the people’s rights “in a dignified manner”.

“There have been several rounds of talk with the government but no fruitful conclusions,” Kargili said on Monday. “The government has tried to divert the movement with the arrest of Sonam Wangchuk under a draconian law and by detaining several other protesters. The sense of betrayal and alienation is increasing.”

The people of Ladakh are not against development, but it should be done keeping in mind the local ecological security, Kargili added.

On Monday, the civil society group also highlighted the environmental and social vulnerabilities in the Himalayas, pointing to the floods and landslides in Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Sikkim, among other areas.

The campaign said that the incidents “cannot be dismissed” as only natural and climate disasters, but were the “compounded impact of climate change interacting with poor governance and policy making centred on reckless models of extractive development” leading to rapid and massive commercial tourism, unregulated infrastructure expansion and deforestation.

The group said that governments and regulatory institutions had failed to heed to warnings by scientists and instead prioritised “short-sighted projects that increase risks rather than reduce them”.

People for Himalaya said that the development trajectory is unsustainable and that immediate corrective measures need to be taken to prevent further devastation.

“The campaign affirmed that it stands firmly with the people of Ladakh and with all Himalayan communities who are resisting ecological destruction and fighting to protect their ancestral lands, democratic rights, and futures,” the group said in a statement.

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