How Ladakh’s peaceful protests turned violent and led to Sonam Wangchuk’s arrest

In Focus by The Hindu · Sep 28, 2025 · 41m

Fringed by China and Pakistan, Ladakh is India’s high-altitude borderland.

For years now, locals led peaceful protests demanding statehood and constitutional protections for land, jobs, and identity. But last week, that peace broke. Violence erupted in Leh city in the Union Territory of Ladakh on Wednesday (September 24, 2025), several protesters were killed as security forces launched a heavy crackdown.

At the centre of it all is Sonam Wangchuk — an engineer, climate activist, and one of Ladakh’s most respected voices. He was arrested under the National Security Act, a law that allows…