Ladakh activist subverts Ramayana and Lord Ram's actions to justify his climate protest
Ladakh, India 
17 March, 2024
Case Summary
On 18th March, climate activist Sonam Wangchuk sparked controversy with remarks about Goddess Sita during an interview. He compared the Modi government to Ram, suggesting they "sold" Ladakh like Sita after rescuing it from Ravan. Wangchuk criticized the BJP for not fulfilling promises regarding Ladakh's status. He likened the situation to being saved from one problem but facing another, accusing the government of leaving Ladakh vulnerable to industrial interests. Many were outraged following these remarks by Wangchuk.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the hate tracker under the prime category of 'Hate speech against Hindus'. Under this, two sub-categories have been selected. The first is- Misquoting scriptures as hate speech- Misquoting the religious scriptures of Hindus has particularly devastating consequences. Misquoting the scriptures of Hindus is often done to justify or promote hatred, discrimination, or violence against specific individuals or groups of Hindus. Religious scriptures are often nuanced and those who harbour religious animosity towards Hindus often misquote or misrepresent the scripture to legitimise their animosity and hate towards the faith and its adherents. Religious scriptures have often been misquoted to present stereotypical lies about Hinduism being “oppressive” and therefore, legitimising the violence against Hindus by extremist and supremacist ideologies. Any such misquoting of scriptures to justify hate, violence and discrimination against Hindus owing to religious animosity is hate speech and is categorised as such. Here, climate 'activist' Sonam Wangchuk makes derogatory remarks about Goddess Sita, comparing the Modi government to Ram and accusing them of "selling" Ladakh in a manner akin to how Sita was "given away" after being rescued from Ravan. This statement not only mocks Lord Ram and Mata Sita, two central figures in Hinduism but also distorts the sacred narrative of the Hindu epic Ramayan. Sonam Wangchuk accusing the government is a matter of policy and politics which could have been done without drawing disparaging parallels to Hindu scriptures. In this case, Wangchuk drew the parallel to claim that the govt was wronging Ladakh much like Lord Ram wronged Maa Sita. This, in and of itself, is a subversion of scripture and contributes in legitimises anti-Hindu hate. This case is, therefore, being added to the hate crime database.
Case Status
Unknown
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Others
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
