'Refrain from detaining...': Brahma Chellaney urges govt to handle Ladakh sensitively

Geostrategist Brahma Chellaney on Monday warned the central government about the ongoing unrest in Ladakh, stressing that the situation requires more than just policing.  He said that the government should take lessons from its handling of the unrest in Manipur. 

In a detailed post on X, he said: "Learning from how its slow initial response to the unrest in Manipur allowed that situation to deteriorate, the Modi government is, understandably, responding more proactively to the Ladakh unrest. Yet the situation demands more than just a law-and-order approach."

 

 

 

 

 

Furthermore, he emphasized the need for a forward-looking policy that genuinely addresses local grievances.  He also highlighted the importance of a policy that goes beyond just enforcing law and order. 

He said that Delhi must actively address the legitimate grievances of the people of Ladakh to rebuild their trust. The local population is deeply patriotic, and the region’s soldiers have historically been among India’s finest mountain troops, many of whom have sacrificed their lives in service to the nation and received prestigious gallantry awards.

He also cautioned the government against heavy-handed measures, saying: "The central government would do well to refrain from preventively detaining those peacefully demanding greater autonomy for Ladakh or from questioning the patriotism of @Wangchuk66. How New Delhi handles Ladakh — a critical frontier for national security — will test its ability to combine firmness with sensitivity."

Chellaney’s warning comes after the Supreme Court questioned the Centre on why climate activist Sonam Wangchuk's wife, Gitanjali J Angmo, was not given prior notice about the grounds of her husband's detention under the National Security Act (NSA) after the recent clashes in Ladakh. 

A bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and NV Anjaria on Monday issued notices to the Centre, Jammu & Kashmir, and Rajasthan, while scheduling the matter for hearing on October 14. The plea, filed by Gitanjali Angmo, stated she has been denied access to her husband since his detention on September 26—two days after protests in Ladakh for statehood and Sixth Schedule status left four dead and 90 injured.

Massive protests erupted in Leh, where demonstrators have been demanding statehood and inclusion in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution. 

The agitation, led by Wangchuk, escalated into violence as protestors pelted stones, set fire to the BJP office in Leh, and torched a security vehicle outside the premises. Locals say that Ladakh’s lack of a legislative assembly or representative body to address regional concerns has fueled repeated protests and hunger strikes.