Climate Activist Sonam Wangchuk Released, Says MHA Assured Meeting With PM Modi Or President Soon

Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk and his supporters from Ladakh, released after 36 hours of detention on Wednesday evening, said the Union Home Ministry has assured them of a meeting with either the President or Prime Minister soon to address their concerns.

After being released from detention, Wangchuk and his supporters paid tributes to Mahatma Gandhi at his memorial in Rajghat.

Wangchuk, along with 150 fellow protestors, were detained by the Delhi Police at the Singhu border on Monday night while they were entering the national capital as part of their ‘Delhi Chalo Padyatra’.

The Delhi Police cited the imposition of Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) at Delhi borders until October 6 behind the detention of the Ladakh-based Climate activist.

“We faced some difficulties upon arriving in Delhi due to the detention, but everything happens for a reason, and we are glad that our message of environmental conservation reached more people. We have submitted a memorandum to the government, urging protection for Ladakh under constitutional provisions to safeguard the Himalayas,” said Sonam Wangchuk.

Why Wangchuk Went On March to Delhi

Beginning on September 1, Wangchuk and other volunteers embarked on a foot march from Leh to New Delhi to urge the Centre to resume dialogue with Ladakh’s leadership regarding their demands.

One of their key demands is to include Ladakh in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, granting law-making powers to the local population to protect their land and cultural identity.

Talking to the media after release from detention, Wangchuk said, “For Ladakh, Schedule 6 of the Indian Constitution offers protection to tribal and local people, granting them authority over the management and governance of the region. I have been assured by the home ministry that in the coming days, I will meet with India’s highest leadership—the Prime Minister, President, or home minister. I have called for the restoration of democracy through statehood and the implementation of Schedule 6.”

Opposition Criticised Centre

Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Tuesday criticised the Delhi Police’s detention of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk and his supporters at the Singhu border, terming it as ‘unacceptable.’

“The detention of Sonam Wangchuk ji and hundreds of Ladakhis who were peacefully marching for environmental and constitutional rights is unacceptable,” Rahul Gandhi said in a post on X.

AAP leader and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also criticised the detention of the climate activist, calling it ‘completely wrong’ to stop people from entering the national capital.

“Sometimes they stop farmers from coming to Delhi, sometimes they stop people from Ladakh. Is Delhi the property of one person? Delhi is the country’s capital. Everyone has the right to come to Delhi. This is completely wrong. Why are they afraid of unarmed peaceful people?” said Kejriwal in a post on X.

Section 163 Of BNSS in Delhi

The Delhi Police on Monday banned protests and the gathering of five or more persons in the central and bordering areas of the city for the next six days till October 5, citing law and order issues.

The march led by Wangchuk was initially urged to not enter the Delhi border in the wake of the prohibitory orders but when they didn’t stop, the policemen deployed at the border detained about 120 people, including Wangchuk.

Women participating in the march were not detained, the police sources said, adding that detentions were done given prohibitory orders banning gatherings of five or more persons in north and central Delhi.

Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora directed section 163 (which was earlier section 144 of CrPC) of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita in the districts of New Delhi, North and Central and all police station jurisdictions sharing the borders with other states, according to an order issued from the Delhi Police Headquarters.