Sonam Wangchuk did not call for Nepal-like violence in Ladakh; media reports, Amit Malviya’s claim false

by Abhishek Kumar

After the September 24 violence in Ladakh, a 15-second clip of a speech by activist Sonam Wangchuk went viral on social media. Several major media channels also aired it claiming that Wangchuk had incited people in a speech made on September 10. 

Zee News played this video clip and claimed that Wangchuk said, “The people will bring about change in Ladakh just like it happened in Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.” The anchor said, “Will you compare India with what happened in Nepal, what happened in Bangladesh, what happened in Sri Lanka?”

Republic World also played the clip in a bulletin and claimed, “Republic has obtained a video of Wangchuk, purportedly recorded on September 10, in which he called for a mass movement in Ladakh on the lines of Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.”

On a News18 show, anchor Aman Chopra played the said speech by Sonam Wangchuk, claiming that before the violence in Ladakh, he had made inflammatory remarks citing examples of Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Nepal to the youth of Ladakh. In the same video, Chopra also falsely identified a masked man in the footage of the September 24 violence as a Congress councilor, which has already been fact-checked by Alt News.

BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya shared this video and claimed that Sonam Wangchuk in his speech talked about turning India into a Nepal or a Bangladesh.

Indian Compass, an Instagram account linked to the BJP IT cell, also wrote that Sonam Wangchuk was inciting people to protest like in Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

 

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A post shared by Indian Compass (@indian.compass)

Similarly, pro-BJP users like Raushan Sinha, Bala, Chandan Kumar, Kalpana Srivastava, along with RSS mouthpiece Panchjanya, shared the video and claimed that Sonam Wangchuk, in his speech on September 10, incited the crowd by saying, “Like Nepal, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka, the masses will bring about change in Ladakh.” These users also called Sonam Wangchuk a separatist disguised as an environmentalist.

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Fact Check

We performed a reverse image search with key frames of the viral clip and found the full video (34.53 minute-long) uploaded by a YouTube channel named Ladakh People’s Voice on September 10. The viral segment, which mentions Nepal, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka, comes at 15.50 minutes.

Translation of Sonam Wangchuk’s speech:

We got the the viral clip of Sonam Wangchuk’s speech translated by a journalist in Ladakh. She told us that the speech was in Ladakhi. The following is a translation of the viral clip, along with what is said before and after: 

“Allegations against me — whether in the HIAL land case, the FIR for sedition, or countless others — mean nothing compared to the cause of Ladakh. I am prepared to lay down my life for this region. Not just this life — even if I were to be born again, I would give my life for Ladakh.

For a man who can lay down his life for his land, such allegations, FIRs, and attempts to intimidate or silence me are laughable. They cannot and will not keep me silent. These efforts to hold me back are futile. It is better to face everything head-on than to remain stranded in confusion and chaos as Ladakh has been for the past five years.

History shows us that real change often comes at a price — in Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka — people brought change through sacrifice. But unlike others, Ladakh does not need to resort to violence, stone-pelting, or chaos. Ladakh can lead a peaceful revolution — one where people make sacrifices, even fasting and risking their lives, while putting forward their demands. Ladakh can become an example for the whole nation, showing how to fight for rights without violence.

Every day I face new allegations. Recently, I heard that an FIR for sedition has been registered against me. When I checked, I found it was true. Imagine — the person who led a movement encouraging every Indian to boycott Chinese products is now accused of “breaking India.”

This allegation of being an “enemy of India” is not just an attack on Sonam Wangchuk — it is an attack on every Ladakhi. This is dangerous for national security because it diminishes the patriotism of our people.”

Translation of Sonam Wangchuk’s speech by Climate Front India:

We also found an Instagram post by Climate Front India refuting the viral claim that Wangchuk encouraged a Nepal-like transformation for Ladakh. Climate Front India, which is a Jammu-based organisation focused on educating the public about climate change and promoting climate justice, posted a video of the speech by Sonam Wangchuk with English subtitles.

The caption says, “In this video, Sonam Wangchuk is clearly urging Ladakhis not to follow the violent path of Nepal, but to show the world how change can happen peacefully and democratically. Misrepresenting his words as provocation is nothing but a deliberate attempt to mislead and malign him.”

The subtitles go like this: 

“…May it be in Nepal, Bangladesh or Sri Lanka… the people have brought the change. If someone dies, the change will come I guess. I believe that unlike them with all that violence, turmoil and stone-pelting, Ladakh ill bring a peaceful change, a peaceful revolution, in which we ourselves die of starvation (hunger strike) so that the change becomes inevitable. That would be our difference from those other countries. For all other countries, Ladakh will become an example, that you don’t have to arson or die of bullet. We will lay our life out of starvation, inflict pain on ourselves but not on others. Those times are upon us now.”   

To sum up, several news channels and Right-wing influencers shared a clipped video of Sonam Wangchuk’s speech to falsely claim that he talked about bringing about a change in Ladakh through violence like in Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

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About the Author

Abhishek is a senior fact-checking journalist and researcher at Alt News. He has a keen interest in information verification and technology. He is always eager to learn new skills, explore new OSINT tools and techniques. Prior to joining Alt News, he worked in the field of content development and analysis with a major focus on Search Engine Optimization (SEO).