An old video of Ladakh activist Sonam Wangchuk is being shared on social media with a false claim that he said locals would help China invade India.
BOOM found that Wangchuk was quoting a local comedian’s remark during his March 2024 hunger strike, and not making the statement himself.
On September 26, 2025, police detained Wangchuk under the National Security Act, two days after statehood protests in Leh turned violent. On September 24 a BJP office was set on fire and police opened fire to disperse the crowd, leaving at least four people dead and over 50 injured. Wangchuk later called off his hunger strike that was undertaken demanding statehood and Sixth Schedule for Ladakh.
The Claim: Video shows Wangchuk saying that Ladakhis would show China the way to invade India.
The video is being shared on Facebook and Instagram with the caption, "If China invades India through Ladakh, we will not stop China but will show path to China getting inside - Sonam Wangchuk".
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What We Found:
1) Video From March 2024
We found that the original 3.16 minute video was posted by Wangchuk on his X account on March 12, 2024. At the time, he was on a 21-day hunger strike backed by the Leh Apex Body, demanding Ladakh’s inclusion in the Sixth Schedule and statehood.
In the video, Wangchuk described how students, youth, monks, and ex-servicemen joined the strike. He recalled Ladakh’s contribution during the India-Pakistan war, quoting an ex-serviceman who stressed the role of local volunteers and scouts.
2) Wangchuk was quoting a comedian
After that Wangchuk says, "There is a famous comedian here who said, "When China comes here, the people of Ladakh will give their lives to stop them, now if the Indian government is not doing anything for us, the next time they come, we will show them the way, we will not stop them, why should we give our lives when we are not being protected?" And then police started questioning him about how he said this. I would say, don't kill the messenger, solve the problem. His frustration is coming out, you solve the problem, it will be better. The government should take a serious note about all this. Ladakhi people felling frustrated and alienated is not good for India."
At the end of the video, he expresses hope that the government will fulfill its promises and that the people of Ladakh will continue to defend India like soldiers. The viral video omits this context to make the misleading claim.
