India releases climate activist Sonam Wangchuk after six months in detention
Centre revokes NSA order amid Supreme Court scrutiny as Ladakh leaders hail ‘victory for the people’
NEW DELHI — March 15, 2026 — India’s government has released climate activist Sonam Wangchuk from detention after nearly six months, revoking the National Security Act order under which he was held following violent protests in Ladakh last September, in a move welcomed across the political spectrum as a vindication for the region’s demands .
The 59-year-old founder of the Students’ Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh walked out of Jodhpur Central Jail at approximately 1:30 p.m. on March 14, hours after the Ministry of Home Affairs announced its decision to revoke his detention “with immediate effect” . His wife, Geetanjali Angmo, was present to complete the formalities .
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Wangchuk was taken into custody on September 26, 2025, two days after protests demanding statehood for Ladakh and its inclusion under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution turned violent in Leh, leaving four people dead and nearly 100 injured . The government accused him of inciting the violence and instigating youth to organise protests modelled on Gen Z movements in Nepal and Bangladesh—allegations he consistently denied .
Government cites dialogue, stakeholders see vindication
The Ministry of Home Affairs stated that the decision was taken “after due consideration” and in furtherance of the government’s commitment to “fostering an environment of peace, stability and mutual trust in Ladakh to facilitate constructive and meaningful dialogue with all stakeholders” . The ministry noted that Wangchuk had already undergone nearly half of the maximum 12-month detention period permitted under the NSA .
However, the government also reiterated its stance that the “prevailing atmosphere of bandhs and protests has been detrimental to the peace-loving character of the society” and has adversely affected students, businesses, and the regional economy .
Leaders in Ladakh welcomed the release as a significant victory. Cherring Dorjay Lakruk, co-chairman of the Leh Apex Body—one of the groups spearheading the agitation along with the Kargil Democratic Alliance—said the decision vindicated their position. “We have been saying from day one that the allegations against him were not true, including the tag of anti-national. Today it has been proved that what we were saying was correct,” he told reporters .
Tsring Lagrok, another LAB co-chairman, described it as “not only a personal victory for Wangchuk but also a victory for Ladakh because the tag of anti-nationalism is not proven in the apex court” . He suggested the government withdrew the case because it was “on the verge of losing” and unable to substantiate its claims .
Sajjad Kargili of the Kargil Democratic Alliance welcomed the move as “good news for the people of Ladakh during the holy month of Ramadan” but stressed that “our struggle for legitimate rights continues” . He also demanded the immediate release of two other detainees, Deldan Namgial and Smanla Dorjey, and urged the government to drop charges against all those arrested during the protests .
Political reactions: Opposition condemns detention
The release drew sharp reactions from opposition parties, who accused the government of using the stringent NSA arbitrarily.
Congress MP Jairam Ramesh said the government “stands fully exposed” and should apologise to Wangchuk, his family, and the people of Ladakh . “The INC had condemned the arrest of Sonam Wangchuk on completely bogus grounds six months back. Now the Modi Govt has done a total U-turn,” he posted on X .
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, whose National Conference party leads the regional government, said Wangchuk “should never have been arrested. It was wrong to arrest him, and that too under the NSA” . He added that promises made to Ladakh should now be fulfilled.
AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal drew parallels with his own party’s leaders, alleging that Wangchuk’s case mirrored the treatment of opposition figures. “A scientist and climate activist who had dedicated his life to the nation was arrested without any evidence. The months he spent in jail were not only a personal loss for him but also a loss to the country,” Kejriwal said .
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Peoples Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti stressed Wangchuk’s environmental contributions, stating: “National Security Act should not have been slapped on Sonam Wangchuk… He did a lot for the environment. It was very wrong to keep him in jail for too long” .
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav questioned why Wangchuk was jailed at all, pointing out that the BJP had previously promised statehood for Ladakh. “It was the BJP that betrayed them,” he said .
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor welcomed the release but urged the Supreme Court to establish “strict norms for maximum periods of detention permissible without trial,” describing indefinite detention as “an undemocratic practice left over from the colonial era” .
Supreme Court scrutiny and legal context
The release came just days before a scheduled Supreme Court hearing on March 17 on a habeas corpus petition filed by Wangchuk’s wife challenging his detention . The court had previously questioned whether his speeches and social media posts could legitimately be interpreted as provocative and linked to the September 24 violence .
In February, the court ordered the government to produce the original pen drive containing Wangchuk’s speeches, questioning the veracity of translated versions used to justify his detention . A security official familiar with the matter told The Telegraph that “the grounds for his detention appeared to be flimsy and would not have withstood legal scrutiny in the apex court” .
Wangchuk was detained under the NSA—a law that permits detention without formal charges for up to 12 months if an individual is deemed to pose a threat to national security or public order—on an order issued by the Leh district magistrate .
Background: Ladakh’s demand for autonomy
The protests that led to Wangchuk’s arrest are part of a broader movement in Ladakh following the central government’s decision in August 2019 to abrogate Article 370, which granted special status to the former state of Jammu and Kashmir, and split the region into two Union Territories—Jammu and Kashmir with a legislature, and Ladakh without one .
Since then, the Leh Apex Body and Kargil Democratic Alliance have demanded statehood for Ladakh and its inclusion under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, which would provide autonomous tribal councils and protect land and resource rights . In February 2024, thousands protested in Delhi, Leh, and other parts of Ladakh, pressing these demands .
The government has taken some steps to address local concerns. In June 2025, the Home Ministry notified new domicile and reservation rules for Ladakh, reserving 85 per cent of government job vacancies for locals and strengthening domicile conditions . However, the core demands for statehood and Sixth Schedule protections remain unfulfilled.
Leadership change and strategic considerations
Observers noted that Wangchuk’s release came just one day after Vinay Kumar Saxena, a close associate of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, took oath as the new Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh on March 13, replacing Kavinder Gupta who was transferred to Himachal Pradesh . Sources told The Tribune that the revocation of the NSA “looked imminent the day the Centre effected a leadership change in Ladakh,” signalling the government’s intent to make a “new beginning” in the strategically important region that shares a 1,597-km border with China along the Line of Actual Control .
Saxena welcomed the release, calling it a “positive step” towards fostering peace and mutual trust, while stressing that “there is no place for agitation, bandhs or violence in Ladakh” and that the path of cooperation should be followed .
Wangchuk’s profile and ongoing struggle
Sonam Wangchuk, a 2018 Magsaysay Award winner, is widely known for his innovative educational work in the Himalayas and his advocacy for sustainable development and regional autonomy. His detention had drawn attention to Ladakh’s ongoing movement, which he maintained was a democratic right to criticise and protest .
In a post on X two days before his release, Wangchuk had written that “a just future for Ladakh would require sincere dialogue” .
Ladakh MP Mohamad Hanifa welcomed the release but urged the government to go further, accepting the region’s demands for statehood and constitutional protection. “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,” he said .
The release of Sonam Wangchuk on March 14 brings to a close a six-month detention that became a flashpoint for Ladakh’s broader demands for autonomy and constitutional safeguards. While the government cited the need to foster dialogue as its rationale, opposition leaders and regional activists view the decision as an admission that the case against him was untenable—particularly with the Supreme Court poised to hear his wife’s petition.
For Ladakh, the release is seen as vindication, removing what activists called the unjust “anti-national” tag attached to their movement. But as LAB and KDA leaders made clear, the struggle continues. With a new Lieutenant Governor in place and strategic imperatives along the Chinese border looming large, the central government now faces renewed pressure to translate its outreach into substantive concessions—whether through the existing High-Powered Committee or other mechanisms.
Wangchuk’s return to Ladakh will likely reinvigorate a movement that, while pausing to celebrate his release, shows no signs of abandoning its core demands.
SOURCES / INPUTS
Hindustan Times: Activist Sonam Wangchuk released as Centre revokes NSA
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