A day after the Union Home Ministry accused him of instigating violence in Ladakh’s Leh city which led to the death of four people and injuries to several others, climate activist Sonam Wangchuk told The Hindu on Thursday that he is not afraid of being arrested by the police and he was present in his village.
Responding to the statement by the Ministry that blamed him for the violence, Mr. Wangchuk said, “It is as sad the incident itself. The way they are dealing with the issue in a childish way.”
The activist said authorities were playing a blame game and making him a “scapegoat”. “This is not the way to heal a wound, it will further aggravate the situation, it will further anger the youth. After doing all this to us… for six years of joblessness, of unmet promises, they are now just blaming me for everything,” Mr. Wangchuk said.
He said Sambit Patra of the Bharatiya Janata Party flashed a photo saying that a Congress councillor was leading the violence. “It was not the Congress councillor’s photo. Sambit Patra should apologise for unnecessarily harassing a family.
This was followed by police in Leh ransacking their house and beating up people. They are arresting the youth leaders of Leh Apex Body (LAB), who were actually appealing people to calm down, they almost got hit themselves. Now they are arrested. This will make it worse,” he said.
The Ministry statement said that an unruly mob destroyed public property and attacked the police injuring around 30 security personnel and the police had to open fire in which “unfortunately some casualties are reported.”
The Ministry said a hunger strike was started by Mr. Wangchuk on September 10 demanding Statehood for Ladakh and its inclusion in the Sixth Schedule (tribal status).
It said the government has been actively engaged with LAB and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), and despite a planned meeting on September 26 with the leaders, “a mob guided by Sonam Wangchuk’s provocative statements” caused violence on Wednesday.
“I do not fear arrest, I am prepared. The nation will see that someone who has worked for children all his life, for the defence forces with his innovations, who has launched movements like boycott of Chinese goods,.
He is today conveniently being harassed so that his voice is shut down and huge parcels of land are given to corporates,” he said, adding that there are indications that they may be booked under the draconian Public Safety Act.
