Activist Sonam Wangchuk Demands Judicial Report and Increased Compensation a Year After Ladakh Clashes

Activist Sonam Wangchuk held a press conference in New Delhi on Sunday, exactly one year after deadly protests in Ladakh resulted in four fatalities and his own imprisonment under the National Security Act. He used the appearance to push for the immediate publication of the judicial investigation led by retired Supreme Court jurist Justice B S Chauhan.

Inquiry And Detainment

Wangchuk stated that the probe needs to clarify the events of the police firing on September 24 of last year. Specifically, he wants to know if a direct shooting order was given and whether standard crowd control methods were exhausted prior to live rounds being fired. Recalling his own arrest two days after the clashes, he described being flown out on a special aircraft to Jodhpur and placed in complete isolation under the NSA. He also claimed there was an active plot to kill him in a staged encounter on the day of the violence, which was averted before he was placed in a jail cell instead.

Compensation And Cases

Addressing financial relief, the Magsaysay award winner argued that the current payout of 15 lakh rupees granted by the local administration to each bereaved family is inadequate, especially when substantial funds are spent on public celebrations in the Union territory. He also discussed the legal fallout, noting that authorities have approved dropping charges against 20 individuals out of the 81 arrested. However, he urged officials to review the remaining cases, pointing out that local volunteers and bystanders who tried to de-escalate the situation are now facing severe accusations like attempted murder. Wangchuk further called on the Union Home Ministry to fix responsibility for what he termed the wrongful use of emergency laws, and apologized for a past remark comparing Ladakh's situation to the plight of Tibetans, admitting it caused hurt.