Trust with Centre has declined drastically

It was never my goal to be a hero or a villain.

- BY SHUBHANGI SHAH

Q You went from being seen as an environment hero to a disruptor, including facing detention under the National Security Act.

I have always done what was needed which, in this case, was raising the issues of Ladakh. I saw our leaders were struggling, getting an unfair deal compared to what had been proposed. I felt I had a certain reach, so I became a medium to share with the rest of the nation that here was a case of injustice. When my voice became effective, they slapped the NSA. But even before that, they tried 'saam, daam, dand, bhed'. First they called me and offered me positions. I declined. Then came the threats. Then came the agencies—ED, CBI, whatever was possible. They could not find anything. When nothing worked, they used the NSA.

Q What do you think about the violence that broke out during the protests on September 24 last year?

I don’t know. The best way to describe it is that it erupted out of frustration among the youth. It was not something anybody had planned. During the five-week fast, some people began falling critically ill, while the government was insensitive enough to say that talks would happen only weeks later. That may have triggered them. Some say the youth were already angry and that the tear gas attack provoked them. Others say it was planned, as security forces had already been brought in. We don’t know. It could have been orchestrated or spontaneous. Either way, it was not to our liking and was never part of our plan.