Ladakh climate activist Sonam Wangchuk on Tuesday, 3 November 2026, wrote a detailed letter to President Droupadi Murmu, urging her to intervene over the rights of indigenous communities, democratic freedoms, and the fragile Himalayan ecology in Arunachal Pradesh's Siang Valley. The appeal centres on mounting resistance by the Adi people against the proposed Siang Upper Multipurpose Project, which has reportedly triggered heavy security deployments, activist arrests, and restrictions on villagers.

The Core Appeal

Writing with what he described as 'a heavy heart,' Wangchuk told the President that he has spent decades working to protect the Himalayan environment in Ladakh, and that indigenous communities across both cold deserts and lush valleys share an intrinsic bond with their mountains, rivers, and forests. He stressed that the lives, cultures, and national security of these communities are closely tied to the health of these ecosystems.

Addressing President Murmu — herself from an indigenous tribal background — Wangchuk argued that she would understand that nature, for Himalayan peoples, is 'not merely a resource to be exploited, but a mother to be protected.' He noted that the Adi community reveres their river as Aane Siang (Mother Siang), a relationship mirroring the sacred bond Ladakhis maintain with their glaciers.

Reported Crackdown in Siang Valley

Wangchuk cited reports of heavy security personnel deployment in the Siang Valley, arrests of young activists, and restrictions imposed on villagers protesting the project. He also highlighted allegations of police excesses against elderly villagers and criminal cases registered against those opposing the dam. Expressing particular distress, he raised concern over attempts to label citizens voicing legitimate environmental objections as 'anti-national' or 'foreign-funded.'

The activist drew a direct parallel with Ladakh, where residents have spent years peacefully demanding constitutional safeguards under the Sixth Schedule to protect their ecology, ancestral lands, and cultural identity — demands that remain unresolved.

National Security Argument

Wangchuk asserted that residents of both Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh have historically stood alongside the Indian armed forces during wars and border crises, often under hostile conditions. He cautioned that branding border populations as foreign-funded weakens national security rather than strengthening it, arguing that the trust and active cooperation of local communities remain strategic assets in sensitive frontier zones.

Ecological and Seismic Concerns

On environmental grounds, Wangchuk pointed to the seismically active nature of the Himalayas and recalled the catastrophic glacial lake outburst flood in Sikkim's Teesta basin as a cautionary precedent against large-scale infrastructure interventions in mountain river systems. He urged that no further project-related action be taken without an independent and comprehensive assessment of the dam's environmental, geological, seismic, and social impacts.

What Wangchuk Is Demanding

Wangchuk's letter to the President lays out four specific requests: the withdrawal of excessive security forces from civilian areas in the Siang Valley; the release of individuals detained for peaceful protests and withdrawal of criminal cases, alongside an independent inquiry into alleged police excesses; a halt to coercive measures pending meaningful dialogue with affected indigenous communities over land rights; and a comprehensive independent assessment of the project's impacts before any further steps are taken.

With the Siang dam debate intensifying and parallels being drawn to unresolved disputes in Ladakh, the President's response — or silence — is likely to shape how Delhi engages with Himalayan indigenous communities on large infrastructure questions in the months ahead.