Four dead in Ladakh as protests turn violent, Sonam Wangchuk calls off fast

The agitation for statehood in Ladakh spiralled into violence on Wednesday, leaving four people dead and at least 45 others injured, including 22 police personnel, officials confirmed.

By evening, what began as a shutdown in Leh had turned into one of the most violent days in recent memory for the region. Streets filled with smoke and flames as protesters clashed with police, torched vehicles, and set the BJP office on fire.

Amid the escalating unrest, climate activist Sonam Wangchuk ended his fortnight-long hunger strike, which was being staged to demand statehood and the extension of the Sixth Schedule to Ladakh.

With several injured in critical condition, authorities fear the death toll may rise further.

“I request the youth of Ladakh to stop the violence forthwith as it only causes harm to our cause and further deteriorates the situation. We do not want instability in Ladakh and the country,” Wangchuk said in an online press conference, teargas shells audible in the background.

He described the day as “the saddest day for Ladakh and for myself personally because the path we are treading for the last five years was peaceful… We held hunger strikes on five occasions and walked from Leh to Delhi but today we are seeing our message of peace failing because of the incidents of violence and arson”.

Wangchuk urged the administration to halt teargas shelling and pressed the government to “be more sensitive.” He added: “We are ending our fast immediately… the aim of the hunger strike is not fulfilled if our youth lose their lives.”

Officials said the protest call came from the youth wing of the Ladakh Apex Body (LAB) after two hunger-strikers, Tsering Angchuk (72) and Tashi Dolma (60), were hospitalised on Tuesday evening owing to deteriorating health.

Addressing the unrest, Wangchuk explained: “The fact that Tsering Angchuk and Tashi Dolma were taken to a hospital was most likely the immediate trigger for the violent protest.”

He emphasised the need for dialogue: “It is time to carry forward the dialogue with a cool mind. We will keep our agitation non-violent and I also want to ask the government to listen to our message of peace… when the message of peace is ignored, such a situation arises.”

Wangchuk also linked the discontent to frustration among Ladakhi youth, alleging they have been sidelined from employment opportunities. “There is no democracy in Ladakh and the Sixth Schedule promise made to the public has not been fulfilled either,” he said.

Authorities imposed prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the BNSS, banning gatherings of five or more people. Congress leader and councillor Phuntsog Stanzin Tsepag was booked for allegedly delivering a provocative speech at the hunger strike venue on Tuesday.

Protesters, however, went ahead with their march. Leh town remained shut as large crowds gathered at the NDS memorial ground before moving through the streets, chanting slogans for statehood and Sixth Schedule status.

The situation turned violent when some youth allegedly pelted stones at the BJP headquarters and the Hill Council office. Police and paramilitary forces, deployed in strength, responded with teargas. A BJP office, furniture, and documents were torched, while security and private vehicles were also set ablaze.

The agitation, ongoing for four years, is centred on four key demands: full statehood for Ladakh, inclusion under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, separate Lok Sabha seats for Leh and Kargil, and reservation in employment.

The Sixth Schedule currently applies only to certain tribal areas of Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, and Tripura, providing special governance powers and financial autonomy through district councils.

After nearly four months of deadlock, the Centre on 20 September invited the LAB and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) to resume dialogue, following 10 days of Wangchuk’s hunger strike. The next round of talks is scheduled for 6 October.

Former MP and LAB chairperson Thupstan Chhewang, who resigned after the previous talks on 27 May, has since returned and is expected to lead the joint delegation. The Congress, however, has opted out of the LAB after members argued that the delegation should remain non-political ahead of the Leh Hill Council elections next month.