Posts misrepresent Ladakh activist's speech about 'peaceful revolution'

Published on October 10, 2025 at 04:21
2 min read
By Akshita KUMARI, AFP India

Growing resentment with New Delhi's direct rule over the Himalayan territory of Ladakh boiled over into deadly protests in September, but a video shared online that purportedly shows a prominent activist encouraging the use of violence was misleadingly edited. Video of Sonam Wangchuk's full remarks show he in fact said people in Ladakh could bring about change -- just as people did in anti-government protests in Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka -- without resorting to violence.

"Man who set Ladakh on fire... Sonam Wangchuk. Watch this video carefully and look at his mentality," reads part of the Hindi-language caption of a Facebook video shared on September 25, 2025.

The 15-second video shows Wangchuk saying in the local Ladakhi language: "There will be change, the people will bring it, be it in Nepal, Bangladesh or Sri Lanka, it is the people who are bringing the change. If one dies, the change seems to come then."

It surfaced after violent protests in the Himalayan territory that saw crowds torch a police vehicle and the offices of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Ladakh's main city Leh (archived link).

New Delhi has blamed the unrest on "provocative speeches" by Wangchuk, who had been on hunger strike demanding either full federal statehood for Ladakh or constitutional protections for its tribal communities, land and fragile environment (archived link).

The activist was detained by Indian police on September 26.

Screenshot of the false Facebook post captured on October 9, 2025, with a red X added by AFP

The video was also shared in similar Facebook, Instagram, Threads and X posts.

"It is clear this man is inciting people by giving examples of these countries," read a comment on one of the posts.

Another said: "People consider you an idol, but everyone is hurt by this action of yours; you have turned this path of nonviolence into violence, which is very wrong."

But the video has misleadingly omitted Wangchuk's full remarks.

'Fight for rights without violence'

A reverse image search on Google using keyframes from the falsely shared video led to a longer version posted on the "Ladakh People's Voice" YouTube channel on September 10 (archived link).

The nearly 35-minute video shows Wangchuk -- best known for pioneering water conservation projects in the Himalayas -- speaking from a dais.

The falsely shared video uses a clip from the YouTube video's 15:00 mark.

Screenshot comparison of the falsely shared video (left) and the Ladakh People's Voice video (right)

The falsely shared video cuts before Wangchuk goes on to say: "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," he adds.

Local media that reported on Wangchuk's speech focused on the activist beginning a 35-day hunger strike to press for autonomy and statehood for Ladakh (archived here and here). There was no mention of Wangchuk calling for violent protests in the region.

AFP has previously debunked other misinformation linked to the protests in Ladakh.

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