Sonam Wangchuk incited violence by referring to Nepal, Bangladesh and Arab Spring: Centre tells SC

The Centre and the Union Territory of Ladakh administration accused detained climate activist Sonam Wangchuk of using the veneer of Gandhian non-violence to disguise actual incitement to the younger and impressionable generations to turn to violence.

Appearing before a Bench headed by Justice Aravind Kumar, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta reasoned that Mr. Wangchuk’s instigation even touched upon “self-immolation” and non-cooperation in case of an external aggression. The top law officer said the region was located along the border to a country with which India had a “fragile” relationship.

Mr. Mehta said Mr. Wangchuk had actively tried to instigate Gen Z by referring to protests like in Nepal and Bangladesh. He had brought up the possibility of an Arab Spring-like agitation.

“He carefully crafted his speech to instigate Gen Z and asked for agitations like in Nepal and Bangladesh and used speeches of Mahatma Gandhi to cover the real intention,” Mr. Mehta said.

‘No them versus us’

He said Mr. Wangchuk had referred to the Union government as “them” and separated people of Ladakh as “us” and called for “plebiscite” and “referendum”, the calls which were made once in Jammu and Kashmir.

“There is no ‘them’ or ‘us’. We are all Indians. Ladakh is a place which shares borders with two countries — China and Pakistan… The area is very fragile. The speeches made by him have to be taken into account in totality. He was misleading young people and carefully using the speeches of Mahatma Gandhi to cover it. Gandhiji never instigated people against their own government,” Mr. Mehta submitted.

He submitted that Ladakh was crucial for the supply chain for the security forces guarding the borders.

The top court was hearing a plea filed by Gitanjali Angmo against his detention under the stringent National Security Act (NSA). The NSA empowers the Centre and States to detain individuals to prevent them from acting in a manner “prejudicial to the defence of India”.

Mr. Wangchuk was detained under provisions of the NSA on September 26 last year, two days after violent protests demanding Statehood and Sixth Schedule status for Ladakh left four people dead and 90 injured in the Union Territory.