ISLAMABAD: Protests demanding statehood and constitutional safeguards for Ladakh turned violent on Wednesday, with demonstrators clashing with police, torching a local office of ruling Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP), and setting a police van on fire, according to Indian media reports.
Police responded with tear gas and baton charges to disperse stone-throwing protesters. By evening, several injuries had been reported, with visuals from central Leh showing flames at the BJP office and heavy police presence on the streets.
The unrest follows weeks of peaceful demonstrations, including a hunger strike led by local activists calling for statehood and the inclusion of Ladakh under India’s Sixth Schedule. A constitutional provision that grants special protections to tribal regions.
Talks and tensions
The protests escalated after two hunger strikers were hospitalized, prompting widespread anger and calls for urgent action. Talks between the Union Home Ministry and Ladakhi representatives are scheduled for October 6 in New Delhi, but local leaders are urging the Centre to bring the meeting forward in light of Wednesday’s violence.
The Leh Apex Body (LAB) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), the two key negotiating groups, have both expressed a desire for meaningful and time-bound dialogue with the government.
The latest unrest is part of a broader movement that has been building since Ladakh was designated a Union Territory in 2019, following the revocation of Article 370. Since then, civil society groups and local leaders have voiced concerns over the region’s lack of political representation and the need for legal protections for land, jobs, and cultural identity.
Appeals for Calm
Sonam Wangchuk, a well-known climate activist and one of the leading voices behind the hunger strikes, ended his fast on Wednesday amid the violence. He issued an emotional appeal to the youth to maintain non-violent discipline.
“My message of peaceful path failed today… I appeal to the youth to please stop this nonsense. This only damages our cause,” he said in a statement to local media.
In response to the unrest, security has been increased across Leh, with additional police deployments and monitoring of protest hotspots. Authorities remain on alert to prevent further escalation ahead of the upcoming talks.
