India news: Sonam Wangchuk says he is under house arrest in Ladakh

The 60-year-old activist wrote on X late Thursday night, "I am under house arrest." He reported that 20 to 25 police and paramilitary personnel were positioned outside his residence, "in all directions," and shared visuals purportedly showing the restrictions. Wangchuk also claimed his social media reach on X and YouTube had been "drastically suppressed" as he called on supporters to amplify his message.

Election Concerns

Wangchuk's allegation came a day after police removed him from a protest site where he had planned a sit-in demonstration regarding the timing of hill council elections scheduled for December 4. The activist, along with Ladakh's main civil society groups Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), have raised concerns about holding elections during Ladakh's harsh winter period.

"December and January are the coldest and snowiest months with temperature dipping below -30 degrees Celsius in many places and close to half the population migrates out of Ladakh for education, vacation, pilgrimage etc," Wangchuk said in a public appeal, calling for the elections to be deferred to ensure better voter participation.

Official Response

Ladakh police have stated that Wangchuk was "advised to stay his residence" in accordance with prohibitory orders issued by Ladakh's Chief Electoral Officer and the Leh District Magistrate ahead of the elections. Authorities have urged people to "participate enthusiastically" in the upcoming polls, describing the councils as "an important milestone in strengthening democratic institutions" in the region.

Political Context

Wangchuk described the upcoming council elections as "phoney" and the councils as "disempowered. He also questioned the delay in a report of a judicial inquiry commission investigating the deadly 2025 Leh protests over statehood demands, suggesting the restrictions against him were linked to these uncomfortable questions. Ladakh was split from Indian-administered Kashmir in 2019 when New Delhi stripped the disputed region of its statehood and semi-autonomy, categorizing it as a Union Territory" with Leh and Kargil as its two main districts.

The LAB and KDA have been demanding statehood for Ladakh and its inclusion in the Sixth Schedule of the Indian constitution, which would allow indigenous tribal people to make their own laws and policies on land. The activists are protesting not only the timing of the elections but also the nature of the councils being established.