Ladakh under curfew after violent clashes; 50 held, security tightened

As police and paramilitary forces enforced a strict curfew on Thursday, 25 September, at least 50 individuals were taken into custody in Leh, a town still reeling from the previous day’s tumultuous clashes that left four dead and over 80 wounded.

A shutdown orchestrated by the Leh Apex Body (LAB), aimed at pressing the Centre on demands for statehood and Sixth Schedule extension for Ladakh, spiraled into chaos on Wednesday, erupting in violent confrontations, widespread arson, and street skirmishes.

Stringent prohibitory orders, forbidding gatherings of five or more, have been imposed across other key towns, including Kargil, where a shutdown called by the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) in solidarity with climate activist Sonam Wangchuk—who was undertaking a hunger strike — sought to draw attention to their cause.

Wangchuk’s fortnight-long hunger strike was abruptly halted as Leh descended into turmoil, with protesters setting fire to the BJP office, torching vehicles, and vandalising the Hill Council headquarters, forcing authorities to impose an indefinite curfew to rein in the chaos.

"The situation in the curfew-bound areas is well under control. There are no untoward incidents reported from anywhere," a police official told PTI.

He said around 50 people were detained overnight for their involvement in the violence.

The official said three among the injured were citizens of Nepal and police are probing if there are foreign hands behind the violence.

The LAB and KDA have been spearheading an agitation in the last four years pressing for their demands on statehood and extension of Sixth Schedule. They have held several rounds of talks with the Central government in the past. The next round of talks is scheduled on October 6.

Officials said heavy deployment of police and paramilitary personnel in riot gear was made in Kargil, Zanskar, Nubra, Padam, Changtang, Drass and Lamayuru.

Kargil district magistrate Rakesh Kumar issued prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita in the entire district, banning assembly of five or more persons, taking out processions or holding demonstrations without prior written permission of the competent authority.

Restrictions were also imposed on the use of loudspeakers, sound amplifying devices, or vehicle-mounted public address systems without authorisation. Besides, no person shall make any public statement, speech, or declaration -- whether verbal, written, or through electronic means -- which is likely to disturb public peace, provoke enmity, or cause a breach of law and order in the district, the official order said.

Trouble began brewing in Leh when two out of 15 people, who were on a 35-day hunger strike since September 10, were shifted to hospital after their condition deteriorated on Tuesday evening, and the LAB youth wing gave a call for protest.

The Centre had alleged that the mob violence was guided by the "provocative statements" of activist Wangchuk. It said certain "politically motivated" individuals were not happy with the progress made in the ongoing talks between the representatives of the government and Ladakhi groups.

"The government stands committed to aspirations of the people of Ladakh by providing adequate constitutional safeguards," the home ministry said in a statement on Wednesday night.

Terming the events heart-wrenching, Lt Gov Kavinder Gupta had said everyone has the right to speak up in a peaceful manner in a democratic system, but what happened was not spontaneous and was the result of a conspiracy.

"Curfew has been imposed as a precautionary measure to prevent more casualties," Gupta said.

In an online press conference, Wangchuk said the fact that Tsering Angchuk (72) and Tashi Dolma (60) hospitalised was most likely the immediate trigger for the protest.

With the situation worsening rapidly, he stepped in with an appeal and an announcement that he was cutting short the fast.

"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," he told his supporters.

“This is a day of profound sorrow for Ladakh and for me personally,” Wangchuk lamented, “for the peaceful path we have pursued over the past five years—marked by hunger strikes and journeys from Leh to Delhi — has been overshadowed today by violence and arson, dimming the light of our message of peace.”

With PTI inputs