Ladakh statehood protest: Four killed, over 70 injured as police opens fire at protestors in Leh

At least four people were killed and more than 70 others injured on Wednesday when police opened fire and burst teargas shells to disperse students and youth who burnt the BJP office and vehicles in Leh as their statehood protest turned violent. Authorities have clamped curfew in the Leh district to prevent further escalation of the violence.

While top police officers did not respond to phone calls, climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, who was leading the 35-day hunger strike in Leh, told mediapersons that four civilians died so far.

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Leh’s magistrate Romil Singh Donk has imposed prohibitory orders under the Section 163 of BNSS in the district.

Reports said more than 50 injured people were brought to the district SNM Hospital, while many more were receiving treatment in clinics.

Angry students and youth in the morning set on fire the BJP’s office and also several police and private vehicles in Ladakh UT’s capital town of Leh. This is the first time in the past several years that the peaceful region of Ladakh witnessed such violent incidents.

Hundreds of angry protestors clashed with police at several places and ransacked government offices and also tried to storm into the office of the BJP controlled Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) where they pelted stones.

The police fired teargas shells and resorted to baton charge to chase them away, reports said.

The 35-day hunger strike in support of constitutional safeguards for Ladakh led by Wangchuk turned violent on the 15th day on Wednesday when a shutdown call was given after two elderly hunger strikers, a man and a woman, were shifted to the hospital on Tuesday after they fainted. Condition of one of them later turned serious, triggering arson and violence.

CRPF and Ladakh Police have been deployed in strength across Leh to prevent further violence.

A shutdown across Ladakh in the Leh and Kargil districts was announced on Thursday to protest against the “delaying tactics” of the Central government in implementing their demands.

In a bid to de-escalate the situation, Wangchuk has called off his 35-day hunger strike.

Lashing out at the Centre, Wangchuk said called the violence the result of their delaying tactics on granting Sixth Schedule status to Ladakh in the absence of which outside industrialists were eyeing the land of Ladakh, while China has also occupied “our” lands.

“It was just the Gen-Z revolution that brought them to the streets. Social unrest was brewing for the past five years because of the false promises of the government. No jobs have been provided to the unemployed youth of Ladakh”, Wangchuk said.

“Violence is not our path. But the Centre refused to take note of our two hunger strikes and protest march from Leh to New Delhi that was causing frustration among the youth,” he said.

Sajjad Kargili, a senior leader of the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), which is also spearheading the demand of Ladakh’s statehood, in a post on X said “Whatever is happening in Leh is unfortunate. Ladakh, once peaceful, is now gripped by frustration & insecurity due to Govt’s failed UT experiment. The onus lies on the Govt—resume dialogue, act sensibly & fulfil Ladakh’s demand for Statehood & Sixth Schedule without delay. Also I appeal to people to remain peaceful and steadfast”.

The situation in Ladakh was reported tense as additional CRPF personnel have been rushed to Leh from the Kashmir valley.

The Home Ministry had last week broken the deadlock and invited the Ladakhi leaders for talks on their demands at New Delhi on 6 October after Wangchuk began the 35 day hunger strike. This was after the last meeting of the high power committee (HPC) was held four months ago.

The people of Ladakh were growing restive as the previous meetings of the HPC did not yield any positive results towards acceptance of the main demands that include statehood, Sixth Schedule status, separate public service commission, and enhancement of Lok Sabha seat. The Ladakh region that was directly administered by the Centre lost the four seats in the J&K Assembly after it became a separate union territory in 2019.