Sonam Wangchuk under house arrest? Why is Ladakh protesting in the freezing cold

Temperatures have already dropped below 0°C in Ladakh. The political temperature, however, remains high. And at the centre of it all are the chief demands: Resumption of talks with the Centre, deferment of the upcoming hill council elections, rollback of the new liquor policy, and release of the judicial inquiry report into the September 24 violence last year that killed four and left around 40 injured.

The Leh Apex Body (LAB), the umbrella platform of political, religious and civil society organisations representing the people of Leh, launched the indefinite strike on Thursday. It’s supported by the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), the umbrella body, which represents the people of Kargil.

A major flashpoint is the timing of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) elections, scheduled for December 4. The leaders have argued that December brings extremely harsh winter conditions to Ladakh, making it difficult for people to participate in the electoral process. The municipal elections in Leh and Kargil are, meanwhile, scheduled for November 21.

The agitation has also taken a contentious turn with climate activist Sonam Wangchuk being taken away from the dharna site on Wednesday evening.

Wangchuk was preparing to join the sit-in when, he alleged, a group of around eight to 10 people arrived with a police officer and removed him from the site. He was taken to his institute and shifted to his residence, where he alleges he was placed under house arrest.

He shared a video of his removal and questioned the police action.

“All for asking uncomfortable questions like... why is the Judicial Inquiry Commission Report (of last year's killings in Leh) is delayed & a phoney Council election is foisted on people with rocket speed in mid winter. Whole of Ladakh is in protest (sic),” he said in a post on social media. “My X, Instagram & YouTube reach have been drastically suppressed in the world's largest democracy.”

The Union territory has seen several rounds of protests since it became a UT after separation from the erstwhile state of Jammu & Kashmir. Among the chief demands have been greater political autonomy and constitutional safeguards. Several rounds of negotiations with the Centre have failed to yield fruitful results. The last of these talks, which happened in October, ended in a deadlock.

Meanwhile, the region also witnessed women-led protests over a new liquor policy introduced by the Ladakh administration earlier this year. The policy proposed increasing the number of retail liquor outlets from two to 20 and allowing the sale of hard liquor. The administration had defended the move, saying regulated alcohol sales would help curb illicit liquor trade, address substance abuse and boost tourism revenue. However, women's groups, including the women's wings of the Ladakh Buddhist Association and Anjuman-e-Imamia, opposed the policy, arguing that easing restrictions on liquor sales would harm the region's social and cultural fabric.

Last month, Wangchuk criticised the administration, saying in a video shared on social media that the Ladakh LG VK Saxena was “firing alcohol canons to fight drug abuse in Ladakh.” He shared a video of the protesters. Meanwhile, the administration maintained that the policy had been rolled back in August 26.

The organisations suspended their protest on October 29 after the administration gave them assurance. However, a complete rollback of the new liquor policy has again become one of the issues being demanded in the ongoing protest.