Defending Dissent, Protecting Ladakh: OBMA Stands with Climate Activist Sonam Wangchuk

Posted on 23rd October, 2025 (GMT 08:12 hrs)

ABSTRACT

The Once in a Blue Moon Academia (OBMA) stands in unwavering solidarity with Sonam Wangchuk and the Ladakh Movement, recognizing their struggle as a fight for environmental justice, climate action, cultural autonomy, and democratic dissent. Highlighting Ladakh’s vulnerability as the “Third Pole” of the world, the statement critiques the abrogation of Article 370 and the selective, contradictory application of Article 371, exposing the central government’s sidelining of local governance and ecological concerns. OBMA condemns Wangchuk’s arbitrary NSA detention and the violent suppression of peaceful protests, emphasizing that the movement’s constitutional demands for statehood, Sixth Schedule inclusion, and ecological protection are lawful, ethical, and globally aligned. The statement affirms that safeguarding communities, ecological integrity, and the right to dissent are duties of conscience, wisdom, and citizenship.

In Continuation With

OBMA Statement of Solidarity with Sonam Wangchuk and the Ladakh Movement

The Once in a Blue Moon Academia (OBMA) platform, under its “Ecotopians of Alternity” (EOA)⤡ initiative, stands in unwavering solidarity with Sonam Wangchuk and the ongoing Ladakh Movement, recognizing it as a courageous struggle for environmental justice, climate action, cultural autonomy, and the democratic right to dissent. The movement represents not only a fight for political recognition and regional autonomy but also a defense of ecological integrity and localized sustainable livelihoods in one of the most fragile and climate-vulnerable regions of India.

Sonam Wangchuk is not merely a protest leader—he is a visionary climate activist, educator, and innovator. His work has consistently demonstrated how local knowledge, science, and community-led solutions can address urgent ecological crises. Through Ice Stupas, which store winter water as artificial glaciers for summer irrigation; solar-powered tents, providing renewable energy to remote villages; the Himalayan Institute of Alternatives Ladakh (HIAL), fostering innovation rooted in ecological and social needs without falling for the corporatized mainstream education system; and SECMOL, which provides alternative education enlightening Ladakhi youth, Wangchuk has pioneered solutions to water scarcity, renewable energy access, and educational marginalization. His initiatives exemplify the kind of ecological stewardship, ethical responsibility, and climate-conscious innovation that India desperately needs.

Sonam Wangchuk has repeatedly emphasized the distinction between cleverness and wisdom: cleverness is the ability to manipulate, strategize, or achieve short-term gains, whereas wisdom arises from deep understanding, foresight, ethical responsibility, and alignment with ecological and social realities. The BJP’s arbitrary arrest of Wangchuk may reflect a form of political cleverness—an attempt to intimidate, suppress dissent, and control narratives—but it is profoundly unwise. True wisdom, as Wangchuk embodies, involves long-term thinking, respect for nature, nurturing community resilience, and fostering sustainable solutions. Criminalizing such foresighted ecological stewardship demonstrates the shortsightedness of the authorities, who mistake coercion and control for strength, while undermining the very ecological and social foundations upon which the region—and indeed the planet—depends.

OBMA activists and founder-members have had the privilege of participating alongside Sonam Wangchuk and Helena Norberg-Hodge in the Planet Local Summit, organized by Local Futures in September 2025, where global discussions on community-led sustainability, regenerative practices, and climate-resilient futures were radically advanced. Wangchuk’s struggle for local governance, ecological protection, and climate justice directly aligns with the principles promoted by Local Futures, demonstrating that environmental activism, community empowerment, and democratic participation are inseparable.

Ladakh is part of the greater Himalayan region, often referred to as the “Third Pole” of the world due to its vast stores of glacial ice, fragile ecosystems, and critical role in regulating regional and global climate. This high-altitude desert is acutely vulnerable to climate change, experiencing rapid glacial melt, decreasing snow cover, desertification, and unpredictable water availability. The region’s unique biodiversity, high-altitude wetlands, and traditional pastoral and agrarian livelihoods are under severe stress from rising temperatures, unplanned infrastructure projects, and extractive industries. Any disruption to Ladakh’s delicate ecological balance threatens not only local communities but also downstream water security, agriculture, and climate resilience across South and Central Asia. Protecting Ladakh’s ecological integrity is therefore not merely a regional concern—it is a matter of global environmental significance.

It is important to recognize that the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019 created a profound contradiction in Ladakh’s governance and autonomy. The BJP government, led by Amit Shah, had promised that the revocation would enhance local autonomy and development. Yet, these promises remain unfulfilled, and the central government continues to maintain direct control over Ladakh, sidelining local governance structures and ignoring the region’s distinct cultural and ecological needs.

If Article 370 could be removed overnight in the name of “integration” and “development,” why then does Article 371—which similarly safeguards regional identity, local governance, and cultural autonomy—remain untouched or inconsistently applied? This selective approach exposes a glaring contradiction: the central government asserts the right to override constitutional protections when convenient, yet preserves others that could constrain its control. In Ladakh, this contradiction manifests as direct administration from New Delhi, sidelining local voices and governance structures, while promises of autonomy, development, and protection of cultural and ecological heritage remain unfulfilled. The removal of one article while leaving the other in limbo illustrates a political calculus that prioritizes centralized authority over genuine self-determination.

IF ARTICLE 370 IS REVOKED, WHY NOT ARTICLE 371 OF THE INDIAN CONSTITUTION? VIEW HERE ⤡

It is therefore alarming and unconscionable that a man who has given so much to his region and the nation has been arbitrarily detained under the draconian National Security Act (NSA) and falsely branded as “anti-national.” The flimsy and baseless charges against him, widely reported by independent media outlets, reveal a disturbing pattern of targeting environmentalists, climate activists, and political dissidents under the pretext of national security. This criminalization of conscience-driven action is a hallmark of the current regime’s crony, totalitarian, anti-ecological, and anti-people political economy.

The situation escalated in September 2025, when peaceful protests demanding statehood and inclusion under the Sixth Schedule turned violent. In Leh, at least four protesters were killed and dozens injured during clashes with security forces. The demonstrators, including students, were advocating for greater autonomy and the protection of local rights. Amid the unrest, a BJP office was set on fire, an act that has been attributed to infiltrators or agents provocateurs from and of the BJP regime aiming to discredit the mass movement.

The demands of the Ladakh Movement, which Wangchuk has courageously championed, are entirely constitutional and non-threatening to national security. They include:

• Statehood for Ladakh or full recognition of its autonomous governance structures.
• Inclusion under the 6th Schedule of the Indian Constitution, granting tribal councils and local bodies enhanced powers over land, natural resources, and administrative decisions.
• Protection of local ecology and culture from extractive industries, unplanned development, and environmentally harmful projects.

These demands are not acts of rebellion—they are constitutionally grounded requests for participatory governance, environmental justice, and community self-determination. They align with global climate justice principles, which recognize the rights of frontline communities to protect their ecosystems, exercise local sovereignty, and adapt sustainably to climate change. International frameworks, including the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), emphasize that environmental defenders and communities exercising their constitutional and human rights must never be criminalized for advocating ecological stewardship or local governance.

The political economy that Wangchuk challenges prioritizes resource extraction, centralized power, and corporate profiteering over the health, livelihoods, and future of citizens and the planet. The branding of a climate protector as a traitor echoes other arbitrary arrests in India, including those of Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, Stan Swamy, and G.N. Saibaba, revealing a systemic strategy of criminalizing dissent and undermining democratic norms.

OBMA reaffirms that the right to peaceful, non-violent protest and dissent is the foundation of democracy. Detaining activists like Wangchuk for hunger strikes, advocating for Ladakh’s statehood, or seeking constitutional protections under the 6th Schedule constitutes a direct assault on civil liberties, democratic principles, and India’s ecological future.

We call upon the government to immediately release Sonam Wangchuk, to recognize the legitimacy of the Ladakh Movement, and to protect the rights of citizens to dissent, innovate, and advocate for environmental justice without fear of persecution. International solidarity, civil society, and concerned citizens must support these defenders of climate justice, ecology, and democracy.

Alongside the political and administrative demands raised by the recent Ladakh movement, it is essential to highlight the broader radical environmentalist movement, which advocates for economic decentralization as a crucial step towards ensuring cultural and political autonomy for communities, enabling them to develop their resilience from the ground up.

In solidarity with Wangchuk and all defenders of ecological sustainability, climate action, and constitutional rights, OBMA reiterates: safeguarding the planet, promoting decentralized, locally-resilient communities, and defending the right to dissent are not crimes—they are duties of conscience, ethics, and citizenship.

Ecotopians of Alternity (EOA)

Once in a Blue Moon Academia (OBMA)
Date: October 23, 2025