Ladakh protest leader Sonam Wangchuk arrested, shifted to undisclosed location

LEH: Sonam Wangchuk, social activist and leader of the Ladakh agitation, was arrested and moved to an undisclosed location. The arrest is being made under the National Security Act, the report said.

Wangchuk, a Magsaysay awardee, is a popular environmental activist. Born in 1966 in Uleytokpo, Ladakh, he studied architecture in France. In a sheer show of ingenious talent, he built a cone-shaped artificial glacier (ice stupas) to solve the water shortage in Ladakh. This idea gained attention all over the world. Wangchuk was the inspiration for the character of Phunsuk Wangdu, played by Aamir Khan in the iconic Bollywood movie 'Three Idiots'.

Wangchuk has been at the forefront, leading the struggles of the people of Ladakh for years. Wangchuk, who protested in the cold for the statehood of Ladakh, attracted global media attention for his daring protest.

Wangchuk has been on a hunger strike for statehood for Ladakh since September 10. Two of his fellow protesters collapsed and were admitted to the hospital following fatigue. Meanwhile, the death toll in the clashes in the Ladakh protest rose to five. More than 50 people have been arrested in connection with the clashes.

Meanwhile, the Union Home Ministry cancelled the FCRA license of Wangchuk's NGO, ‘Students Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh’. The move comes after the CBI launched a probe into the NGO and the Himalayan Institute of Alternatives Ladakh, founded by Wangchuk, for alleged violations of the Foreign Contribution Control Act. The accounts of both institutions were inspected by CBI officials the other day.