Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk was arrested Friday by a police party in Leh, two days after violent protests by supporters of the movement for statehood and extension of Sixth Schedule of Constitution left four persons dead and 90 others injured, officials said.
Once the OS layer is opened to the State, it doesn't close, notes Lieutenant General Prakash Katoch (retd).
The Union Cabinet on Friday approved Rs 11,718 crore for conducting the Census of India, 2027, which would include the caste enumeration for the first time.
Jailed activist Sonam Wangchuk has appealed to the people of Ladakh to maintain peace and unity and continue with the ongoing struggle for statehood and safeguards under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution in the true Gandhian way of non-violence, his lawyer said on Sunday.
The Supreme Court has sought responses from the Centre and Union Territory of Ladakh regarding the detention of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk under the National Security Act. Wangchuk's wife filed a plea seeking his release. The court has scheduled the next hearing for October 14.
On August 5, 1953, Jawaharlal Nehru sent a strange note to the foreign secretary. It is worth mentioning because it was symptomatic of the lack of knowledge about Western Tibet in India and in South Block in particular, notes Claude Arpi.
An uneasy calm prevails in Ladakh as authorities enforce a curfew following clashes between security forces and protesters demanding statehood and constitutional protections. The violence resulted in fatalities and injuries, prompting detentions and political reactions.
The wife of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk has appealed to President Droupadi Murmu for his release from jail, alleging a witch-hunt and expressing concern for his well-being after his detention following violent clashes in Ladakh.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has initiated an inquiry into alleged violations of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) against an institution founded by Ladakh-based educationist and activist Sonam Wangchuk. The inquiry follows a complaint from the Ministry of Home Affairs regarding the Himalayan Institute of Alternatives Ladakh (HIAL).
Sonam Wangchuk is under tight surveillance within the three-tiered prison, with CCTV cameras monitored around the clock.
The climate activist, who was leading a hunger strike in Leh over the twin demands, called off the hunger strike after a large number of youths took to the streets.
'...than free Sonam Wangchuk.'
Authorities in Leh, Ladakh, have imposed prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) following violent protests demanding statehood for Ladakh and extension of the Sixth Schedule. The protests, led by the Leh Apex Body, resulted in the burning of the BJP office and vehicles, prompting the district magistrate to issue the order to maintain public order and tranquility.
Talking to reporters in New Delhi, Angmo challenged authorities to an open debate on the allegations, including those suggesting links to Pakistan, and said neither she has been able to contact Wangchuk nor has she been provided with formal documents detailing the charges against him by the administration.
Ladakh Director General of Police S D Singh Jamwal on Saturday said forces were compelled to open fire on protesters, else the entire Leh would have been burned to the ground.
India and China will resume direct flight services by the end of this month after a five-year gap, signaling an effort to rebuild ties strained by the border standoff in eastern Ladakh.
India emerged from the war militarily bruised and strategically altered. The United States, under the guise of friendship, had succeeded in achieving what open alignment never could: The psychological and political repositioning of India within the Cold War order, points out Dr Kumar.
The Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) has announced it will not participate in talks with the central government until climate activist Sonam Wangchuk and others arrested in Leh are released and a judicial probe into the recent firing incident is ordered.
For the first time since curfew was imposed three days ago in violence-hit Leh town of Ladakh, the restrictions were relaxed Saturday afternoon in a phased manner for a few hours, providing relief to residents who lined up outside shops selling essential commodities.
Authorities relaxed the curfew in Leh, Ladakh, allowing markets to reopen after week-long restrictions following violent clashes. The situation is gradually returning to normal with increased security measures.
A magisterial inquiry into the September 24 violence in Leh, which resulted in four deaths, is expected to be completed within four weeks. The inquiry, led by Sub Divisional Magistrate Nubra Mukul Beniwal, aims to determine the facts and circumstances surrounding the incident.
The move comes barely two days after the authorities lifted the restrictions in Leh, 22 days after they were first imposed following violent clashes during protests demanding statehood and Sixth Schedule Status that left four persons dead and 90 injured on September 24.
The bench of Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Sanjiv Berry disposed of the petition filed by the Sanyukt Ahir Regiment Morcha and others seeking a stay on the release of the movie, which is based on the 1962 Battle of Rezang La.
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed the Centre to decide on a representation challenging the certification and release of the film '120 Bahadur'. The petitioners allege historical inaccuracies in the movie's portrayal of the Battle of Rezang La.
'The war scenes in which Indian soldiers fight fearlessly and the powerful dialogues are meant to make the audience proud of the loyalty and valour of Indian soldiers,' observes Deepa Gahlot.
'The amount of respect we have for people who guard our borders and put the country first.' 'Why do they do this?' 'The chances of not coming back are so high. Still, they take that risk.' 'It's for the love of the country.'
120 Bahadur is underwhelming, adding little fresh perspective and generally feeling like a standard war drama we have seen umpteen times before, notes Mayur Sanap.
'He is the same man who has won honours for the country across the world.'
'His series of provocative speeches, references to Nepal agitations, Arab Spring etc and misleading videos resulted in the violent protests of September 24 in Leh where institutions, buildings and vehicles were burnt down and, in the aftermath, police personnel were attacked leading to the unfortunate death of four individuals'
The well-fought defensive battles in Aksai Chin and eastern Arunachal, in remote and forbidding locations such as Galwan, Rezang La, Gurung Hill and Walong, effectively halted Chinese advances not once but twice during the campaign. These engagements, fought with grit and without adequate support, were not immediately known to the world in 1962, points out Dr Kumar.
The government needs to answer the critical question of whether it has accepted any restrictions on its infrastructure creation activities, asserts Ajai Shukla.
A home ministry team reviews the security situation in Leh as curfew continues for the third day following violence related to demands for statehood and extension of the Sixth Schedule.
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Geetanjali Angmo, wife of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, visited him in Jodhpur jail following his detention under the National Security Act. His legal team plans to challenge the detention order in court. Wangchuk is demanding an independent judicial inquiry into the killing of four people during last month's protest.
As India and China continue to face off across the Himalayas six decades later, the echoes of that earlier conflict remain unmistakable. The core of China's sensitivity lies not in maps or mountain passes, but in its perception of sovereignty over Tibet, points out Dr Kumar.
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray criticized the BJP over the arrest of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk and accused the party of corruption and divisive politics during his Dussehra rally.
Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan says the Indian Air Force would have slowed the Chinese offensive considerably during the 1962 War.
'The elimination of terrorists does not imply the neutralisation of terrorism. That terrorist ecosystem continues to thrive in Kashmir.'
On November 18, 1962, 114 soldiers of the 13th Kumaon fought till the last man, and last bullet, in sub-zero temperatures, to beat back the huge Chinese army. We salute the Heroes of Rezang La.
What appeared to be a generous act of friendship was, in truth, a manoeuvre within a much larger strategic game. The United States used the 1962 war not just to aid India but to test how far it could be pulled into the Western fold, points out Dr Kumar.
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