Protestors torched the BJP office and vehicles in Leh as demands for Ladakh's autonomy turned violent. Image credit: NDTV
(The Post News) – Security personnel imposed a rigid curfew in Leh on Thursday following violent demonstrations that resulted in the deaths of at least four individuals and wounded over 80 in Ladakh’s worst violence in decades. Police detained 50 individuals overnight as paramilitary forces marched through the Himalayan town.
Clashes broke out during a shutdown called by the Leh Apex Body (LAB) to compel the central government to grant statehood and implementation of the Sixth Schedule in Ladakh. Demonstrators set alight the local office of India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), set cars ablaze, and destroyed the Hill Council headquarters.
Curfew Extended Across Ladakh
The authorities imposed prohibitory restrictions in other towns like Kargil, Nubra, Zanskar, Drass, Padam, Lamayuru, and Changtang, barring the gatherings, rallies, or use of loudspeakers without permission. District Magistrate Kargil Rakesh Kumar warned that public speeches likely to cause disturbance to peace will also be prohibited.
The Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) endorsed the shutdown in solidarity with activist Sonam Wangchuk, who was on hunger strike. He ended his fast as the violence intensified and appealed to the youth to distance themselves from confrontations.
“This is the saddest day for Ladakh and for me personally because the path we were following for the last five years was non-violent,” Wangchuk said in an appeal.
India’s central home ministry charged Wangchuk with “provocative remarks” which allegedly angered protesters, comparing them to the Arab Spring and Nepalese protests. The ministry reported that 30 police officers were injured when protesters attacked them and that the police fired live ammunition in “self-defence.”.
Security officials confirmed three of the injured were Nepali citizens, which provoked fears of a foreign hand. Lt. Governor Kavinder Gupta described the violence as a “conspiracy” but insisted that the curfew was a precautionary step.
Statehood Agitation Deepens
Since Ladakh was separated from Jammu and Kashmir in 2019 and came under the jurisdiction of the central government directly, Leh’s Buddhist majority and Kargil’s Muslim majority have come under LAB and KDA to demand the revival of statehood and local protections for employment and land.
Since 2023, several rounds of discussion between Ladakhi leaders and New Delhi have been postponed, and this has fueled public resentment. The next meeting is scheduled for October 6.
In Leh, closed storefronts, charred cars, and empty roads reflect the level of agitation. Parliamentarians like Ladakh MP Mohmad Haneefa have called for an impartial probe into the deaths.
As tensions simmer, activists warn that unless the Centre accelerates the dialogue, Ladakh’s fragile fabric may break down into more unrest.
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