By Manjiri Joshi,News18

Copyright news18

Jailed climate activist Sonam Wangchuk’s wife, Gitanjali J Angmo, blamed the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) for escalating the situation by using tear gas on those protesting peacefully in Ladakh, which eventually led to violence.
Wangchuk was arrested on Friday by Leh Police under the National Security Act (NSA), days after violent protests in Ladakh killed four people and left over 90 injured. He was shifted to Rajasthan’s Jodhpur jail after being arrested.
Wangchuk has been accused of inciting people through his alleged provocative statements during his hunger strike for Ladakh’s inclusion in the Sixth schedule and for statehood. The protest, led by Wangchuk along with the Leh Apex Body and the Kargil Democratic Alliance, seeks full statehood and inclusion under the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution for Ladakh.
To press these demands, Wangchuk also started a hunger strike on September 10, ending it after 15 days on September 24, citing concerns over rising violence.

“…Over the past five years, Sonam Wangchuk’s fasts and marches advocating for the implementation of the 6th schedule have been conducted in a genuinely Gandhian manner, emphasising absolute non-violence… Why would someone like this instigate violent protests? This has never happened before… This situation is so sad that you are giving the wrong branding to a very peaceful place…”
“Whatever has happened in Leh over the past six days is very sad. No one is more peace-loving, patriotic, and nationalist than the people of Leh. First of all, imposing curfew in such areas is absolutely wrong, and we condemn it. Secondly, we condemn the reason given for this curfew, which is the youth protest. Because the youth were protesting in a peace-loving manner that day. Had the CRPF not used tear gas, this would have been a very peaceful protest…,” she said.
“Over the past five years, Wangchuk’s fasts and marches advocating for the implementation of the 6th schedule have been conducted in a genuinely Gandhian manner, emphasising absolute non-violence. Wangchuk is more than just a scientist; he inspires young people. People respect him not only for his scientific achievements but also because he is a humanitarian who truly cares about people’s hardships… He spent his life on grassroots education…This has never happened before,” she said.
With Agency Inputs