A group of retired senior civil servants has demanded the release of Ladakh statehood activist Sonam Wangchuk, observing that his protests have always been “peaceful” and his arrest was indicative of the government’s “vindictiveness”.
The Constitutional Conduct Group said in a statement: “His protests have always been Gandhian and peaceful. Moreover, more than once, he has praised Prime Minister Modi’s leadership, most recently at a UN seminar on climate change in Pakistan. How ironic that one of the accusations against him in some quarters is being part of this very seminar! The vindictiveness of the government is apparent in the minutiae of their actions as well. The very next day after arresting Sonam Wangchuk, they cancelled the FCRA of his NGO for the pettiest and most superficial of reasons.”
Underlining the “character assassination” that the government had resorted to, the group said: “As if on cue, voices have been raised by the Lt. Governor and the DG of Police of Ladakh accusing Wangchuk and sundry other people of treason, citing links with Pakistan and other causes.”
The former bureaucrats said the government’s “inept” handling of border states was assuming “dangerous dimensions” for the nation’s security.
“Ladakh’s geographical and topographical context is especially vital because it borders a belligerent and hostile China; the country cannot afford to lose the trust and confidence of its population, people who have always stood by India since Independence,” the statement said.
“The belief seems to be ‘if the people are protesting against the government, they are our enemies’. We have seen this attitude in responding to the CAA protests of 2019-20, the farmers’ agitation of 2020-2021, the Manipur unrest of 2023–2025, and now in the Ladakh matter,” it added.
The group said the “people’s agitation in Ladakh” was driven by two demands — statehood and inclusion under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.
The government must explain to the Ladkahis why it can’t fulfil the demands and what alternatives can be put in place to take care of the grievances, it said.
“Instead, the government decided to hit back with all their strength at the protesters, resorting to firing instead of other milder restraint methods, and killing four people... (including) a decorated ex-serviceman, a Kargil war veteran,” the statement read.
Urging the government to “undo all the wrong steps that have been taken”, the group sought the release of Wangchuk, withdrawal of the order prohibiting the gathering of people and restoration of the Internet.
“Second, as soon as possible, talks should be held with the leaders of the agitation to find out how the legitimate issues they are agitating for can be addressed, including
inclusion in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution,” the group added.
The 79 signatories of the statement include F.T.R. Colaso, who served as the DGP of Jammu and Kashmir and Karnataka, former Delhi lieutenant governor Najeeb Jung and former foreign secretary Shivshankar Menon.