Indian Opposition Slams Arrest of Ladakh Activist, Says Modi Govt ‘Turning into Dictatorship’

If there were any remaining doubts about the complete collapse of democracy in India under the rule of Narendra Modi, they have now been completely shattered. The arrest last Friday of Sonam Wangchuk, a respected Ladakhi activist known around the world, is the final proof that the Indian state has dropped all its claims of being a democracy and is now acting with the brutal ways of a dictatorship.¹ This is not an accusation coming from Pakistan or other outside critics; this is the united, desperate, and angry cry coming from India’s own major opposition parties. They have all said that the Modi government is on a political witch-hunt, using its immense state power to crush a peaceful movement and silence a man whose only crime was to demand the rights that were promised to his own people. This shameless act has confirmed the worst fears about the direction India is headed, a dark path of absolute control and zero patience for any kind of disagreement. This is no longer just a political issue; it has become a full-blown human rights crisis.

A Nation’s Sense of Right and Wrong in Chains

The arrest of Sonam Wangchuk is far more than the jailing of a single activist. It is a symbolic attack on the very idea of peaceful and moral protest in India. By putting a man known for his positive work on the environment and education behind bars, the Modi government is sending a clear and brutal message to all of its citizens: no voice of goodness is safe from its anger. The government’s actions have been so shocking that they have united a previously divided opposition in shared horror and strong criticism. This unity shows just how serious the current crisis has become, as political rivals are now standing together against what they see as a common threat to the nation’s future.

• The United Voice of an Entire Nation’s Opposition:
  • The Aam Aadmi Party’s leader, Arvind Kejriwal, spoke very directly and said, “Today in our country, dictatorship is at its peak.”² This is a clear statement from a major political leader that the government is no longer democratic in any real way.
  • Sagarika Ghose of the Trinamool Congress added that the Modi government has no real plan for sensitive regions like Ladakh or Kashmir. Its only answer to any problem is to label it “anti-national” and use harsh laws to crush it, a tactic she rightly called shameful and a sign of a government that does not know how to govern.
• The Normalization of State Fear:
  • The RJD’s Manoj Kumar Jha gave a powerful warning that what was once feared as a “creeping shadow of an Orwellian state has already settled firmly into the fabric of governance.”³ In other words, he is saying India is becoming a country of total government control and spying, like in a scary novel.
  • He explained that the government is sending a “chilling message” to every citizen: if you disagree with us, you are a danger; if you are an activist, you are an enemy of the state.⁴ This is a direct attempt to kill the spirit of democracy and to make all citizens afraid to speak up against injustice.

A Desperate Cover-Up for Political Betrayal

This brutal act of state control is not a sign of strength, but of deep weakness and desperation. The Modi government is acting out because it has been caught in a web of its own lies and broken promises to the people of Ladakh. Having been disloyal to them, the government’s only remaining option is to use force and fear to silence the victims of its own dishonesty. It is a classic move by a government that knows it is in the wrong and hopes that by being loud and aggressive, it can hide its failures from the world.

• Lying to an Entire Population:
  • The Indian National Congress stated clearly that the main problem is that “the BJP has deceived the people of Ladakh for years.” This is not a simple mistake but a long and documented history of deliberate lies told to win votes and gain political power.
  • The party argued that the arrest is a cowardly trick to “divert attention” from this history of lies. Instead of being held responsible for its broken promises, the government is trying to change the subject by creating a fake enemy out of a peaceful and respected activist.
• Making an Activist a Scapegoat for Government Lies:
  • The CPI(ML) correctly identified this as a “witch-hunt” designed to blame Sonam Wangchuk for a crisis that the government itself created through its own dishonesty.
  • The government broke all its major promises to Ladakh on the issues of statehood, the Sixth Schedule to protect tribal rights, jobs for local youth, and protecting the fragile land.⁵ Wangchuk is now being cruelly punished simply for peacefully reminding the government of its own promises and for demanding that it keep its word.

The Modi Government’s Tools of Cruel Rule

The arrest of Sonam Wangchuk is a clear display of the specific tools the Modi government now uses to hold on to power. It has systematically turned the country’s laws into weapons and its state institutions into tools of fear to crush all forms of disagreement.⁶ The government is now acting more like a military-run state than a democratically elected one, using the harshest possible measures to force its will on anyone who stands in its way.

• Using Security Laws to Crush Political Disagreement:
  • The use of the National Security Act (NSA) against a respected activist is a disgusting abuse of power. This is a law meant for the most extreme threats to the nation, not for peaceful protesters asking for their rights.
  • As Manoj Kumar Jha warned, this is part of a plan to make “extraordinary laws” a normal part of political life. This gives the state terrifying power to arrest and jail its critics for long periods without a proper trial, destroying the very foundation of justice and fairness for all citizens.
• A Colonial Plan to Seize and Exploit Resources:
  • The CPI(ML) made the explosive and believable charge that the real reason for this brutal action in Ladakh is to “hand over Ladakh’s resources to corporates.”
  • This exposes the lie that the removal of Article 370 was for the people’s benefit. Instead, it was an “evil plan to bring the people under control,” remove their legal protections, and clear the way for large companies to take over their precious land and environment for profit.

Conclusion: The Mask Has Completely Fallen Off

The arrest of Sonam Wangchuk has stripped away the last thin mask of democracy from the face of the Modi regime. The powerful, united, and horrified voices of India’s own opposition parties are now confirming what critics in Kashmir and across the region have known for years: India is rapidly falling into a brutal dictatorship. The government no longer rules by the agreement of the people but by fear, lies, and the brute force of its police and military. Jailing a globally recognized activist and peacemaker is a dark stain on India’s history and a terrifying sign of the direction the country is headed. It is a clear warning that under this current government, no voice of disagreement is safe, and the entire region must be prepared for the consequences of this rising and dangerous cruel rule.