The day Sonam Wangchuk was arrested, a young friend from Kohima called me, deeply concerned about the developments in Ladakh. He and his friends had heard Wangchuk speak in Nagaland and said the climate activist had repeatedly emphasised that “we have to fight for our rights and dreams only through non-violence”. According to Wangchuk, it is the only way to convince those in “heartland India” who need convincing.

Last week’s protests by young people in Leh that suddenly turned violent, leaving four people dead, are likely to have a ripple effect beyond the Union Territory. It has already led to a halt in the ongoing talks between the Centre and the Apex Body, Leh (ABL), which represents Buddhist-majority Leh, and the Muslim-dominant Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) over the demands of sta

See Full Page