Delhi protests: Wangchuk warns of hunger strike if protesters not released

Ladakh-based climate activist Sonam Wangchuk has warned that he may launch a hunger strike or undertake a march if protesters detained in Delhi are not released by Sunday, escalating his response to the police action against demonstrators ahead of the Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) planned protest at Jantar Mantar.

Wangchuk, who is currently in Ladakh, expressed concern over the detentions and described the situation as an “undeclared Emergency”. He said he had not anticipated the scale of the police action when he appealed for peaceful demonstrations.

Explaining why he would not attend the CJP protest in the national capital, Wangchuk said he was occupied with preparations for winter and his work on water security and glacial hazards in the Himalayan region.

His work includes experiments involving artificial glaciers and efforts to address the risks posed by potentially dangerous glacial lakes in the high Himalayas.

Wangchuk urged protesters to remain united and maintain peace, invoking Mahatma Gandhi’s principles of non-violence.

The activist has been at the forefront of the movement seeking statehood for Ladakh and constitutional safeguards under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution. He has also demanded accountability for the September 24, 2025, police firing in Leh, in which four people were killed, and the release of the findings of the judicial inquiry into the incident.