MCDSA strongly condemns the BJP government’s use of the draconian National Security Act (NSA) against noted environmentalist and social reformer Sonam Wangchuk and the brutal crackdown on peaceful citizens in Ladakh.
For weeks, Ladakhi people have been raising legitimate demands for constitutional safeguards for their land, environment, and culture. Instead of dialogue, the government has chosen police violence and arbitrary detention. Four protestors have already lost their lives. This is unacceptable in a democracy.
Why are environmentalists and grassroots leaders treated as enemies of the state?
Why are constitutional rights and peaceful protest being met with bullets and prisons?
Why is the BJP government silencing Ladakhis instead of listening to their demands for Sixth Schedule protections?
Such actions erode democracy, criminalise dissent, and deepen alienation in a sensitive border region. They must stop immediately.
So, we demand the following :
1. Immediate unconditional release of Sonam Wangchuk and all detained protestors.
2. An independent judicial inquiry into the killings and police excesses in Ladakh.
3. Implementation of constitutional safeguards for Ladakh’s environment, tribal communities, and local governance.
4. Withdrawal of draconian charges upon the activists and the Central Government must accept the demands of the people of Ladakh.
The BJP government’s authoritarian tactics cannot be normalised. India belongs to its people, not to those who wish to silence them. MCDSA stands in solidarity with the people’s protests at Ladakh and all who defend democracy, environment, and justice.
#SonamWangchuk #Ladakh
Medical College Democratic Students’ Association
