Kashmir leaders including Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday welcomed the release of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk after the union government decided to revoke his detention under National Security Act (NSA).
Omar said the activist should never have been arrested in the first place, particularly under the stringent NSA.
“It was wrong to arrest him. And that too under the NSA. …He was released. It’s a good thing. The situation in Ladakh should be good. We want that too. We are emphasizing that the promises that have been made to us (Jammu and Kashmir) should be fulfilled. Similarly, the promises that have been made to Ladakh should also be fulfilled,” Omar told reporters in Srinagar.
Drawing a parallel with Wangchuk’s release, Omar said authorities should also consider releasing people facing minor charges or those who have already spent longer in jail than their potential sentence.
He said that with the holy month of Ramzan nearing its end and Eid al-Fitr about a week away, it would be appropriate to take goodwill measures.
“We have constantly been making the case that people facing minor charges or those who have spent longer in jail than their sentence would otherwise be, should be released. And I think, given the sanctity of this month, the holy month of Ramzan, Eid is almost a week away now. It would be in the fitness of things that, similar to what was done with Sonam Wangtuk, you also do in other places. Do it here,” Omar said.
“ Those youngsters who were detained last week, those who had FIRs, many of them are first-time offenders. Many of them hardly participated in a protest. I think as a measure of, as an expression of goodwill, revoking the cases against them and releasing some of these people from jail would be a good step.”
PDP chief and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti said that the case registered against Wangchuk should never have been filed in the first place.
Mufti said Wangchuk, widely known for his work on environmental protection and community welfare, was wrongly targeted.
“A person like Sonam Wangchuk, a patriot who has done so much for the environment, the community, and society, was labelled anti-national,” she said.
Mehbooba further pointed out that Wangchuk had previously expressed support for the BJP and had often praised the party.
“Despite that, he was jailed for so long. This was wrong in the beginning, though correcting it now is the right step,” she said.
The Awani Itehad Party, headed by jailed MP Engineer Rashid, said that the decision to revoke NSA to Wangchuk has sent a hopeful message across the region.
The party spokesman, Inam-un-Nabi, welcoming the move, urged the union Ministry of Home Affairs to extend the same compassionate approach towards Kashmiri detainees who have been lodged in different jails across the country for years.
“There are many families in Kashmir who continue to live in pain and uncertainty as their loved ones remain far away in prisons outside the Valley. The government should consider giving them at least one opportunity on similar humanitarian grounds,” he said.
Inam said that such a step would not only bring relief to numerous families but would also help in building confidence among the people. “When decisions are guided by empathy and fairness, they strengthen the bond between institutions and citizens,” he added.
