Ladakh erupts: Promises broken, sentiments ignored, a spark neglected

Ladakh has never witnessed such deadly violence in its recent history — not even in the past 35 years, during which almost every other part of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir experienced violent incidents.

This outbreak raises pressing questions: why did a longstanding, largely peaceful protest — held to demand protection of the region’s land, jobs and autonomy — to spiral into violent turmoil, leaving at least four people dead and over 70 injured during the intense clashes between protesters and security personnel on 24 September?

Experts suggest it is the culmination of years of unaddressed grievances. “A spark neglected for the past five years has destroyed the long-standing peace in this border region,” Noor Ahmad Baba, a prominent political analyst and former head of the political science department at Kashmir University, tells National Herald.

Baba explains it further: “The ongoing situation in Ladakh carries an important message: it reflects the deep disappointment of the people. Over the years, their legitimate concerns and demands have been largely ignored. Issues of land security, job reservations, and the safeguarding of their cultural identity remain unaddressed, fuelling growing frustration.’’

Violent protesters, mostly youths, torched several government buildings in Leh, including one housing the BJP office. Strict curfews and security restrictions were imposed across the regional capital and remained in force at the time of filing this report.

A complete shutdown, called by the Leh Apex Body (LAB) — a coalition of civil, religious, and political groups that spearheads the protests — is in place.

On the day of deadly violence, it was the 15th day of the hunger strike led by LAB leaders, headed by prominent activist Sonam Wangchuk. Witnessing the bloodshed, he immediately called off the hunger strike, describing the unfolding events as “a damage to their peaceful cause”. In his social media post, he urged protesters not to derail the movement, which has been ongoing for over five years.

Speaking with this correspondent, Wangchuk said, “We called off the strike because we saw that it was getting out of hand. The youth were becoming increasingly frustrated seeing the condition of those on hunger strike. The health of the hunger strikers was deteriorating, and some were being hospitalised. I decided that, at the very least, I would remove this source of concern for the youth, which is why I called it off.”

(See complete interview here)

In fact, this was the sixth hunger strike by Sonam Wangchuk.

This peaceful protest — including shutdowns, marches and hunger strikes — has been ongoing for the past five years, led by the Leh Apex Body and the Kargil Democratic Alliance.

On 5 August 2019, the BJP-led government at the Centre, through a unilateral parliamentary action, revoked Articles 370 and 35A and bifurcated the erstwhile state into two union territories — Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.

As a result, the Ladakh region also lost its autonomy and protections over land and jobs. Residents of Ladakh fear that these changes have left them vulnerable to land encroachments, the loss of job reservations and environmental degradation due to unchecked development.

However, the continuous protests were largely ignored by the government. Political activists highlight the growing frustration among the populace.

“We believe in peace and dialogue. The people of Ladakh have the right to seek democratic freedoms, but their peaceful voices are being suppressed. Security forces opened direct fire on the protesters, pushing the situation to a dangerous level,’’ says Sajjad Kargili, a prominent political activist and member of the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), while speaking to National Herald.

Allegations of politically motivated false allegations have also been rife.

Meanwhile, what do the protestors really want?

The Ladakhis have largely outlined four core demands, which were reaffirmed in recent negotiations:

(1) Full statehood with a legislature and an elected government.

(2) Inclusion in the Sixth Schedule to safeguard Ladakh’s land from non-tribal acquisition, preserve cultural identity, and ensure local consultation on development projects.

(3) Two additional Lok Sabha seats to guarantee fair representation in national politics.

(4) Enhanced job and land protections, including 100 per cent reservation for locals in government employment and stricter regulations on land transfers to outsiders.

The BJP, in its poll manifesto, promised Ladakh’s inclusion in the Sixth Schedule. Meanwhile, in 2019, home minister Amit Shah stated that Ladakh would receive “full autonomy” — akin to that of a state.

“They are now backtracking on their commitments, which is why anger is brewing among the youth,” said Wangchuk.

Given Ladakh’s strategic location bordering China, veteran politicians emphasise the urgent need for dialogue to resolve the issue peacefully.

Former chief minister of the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir state Farooq Abdullah, reacting to the ongoing situation in Ladakh, said, “This kind of incident happening in a border state is dangerous for national security, especially when China is always trying to destabilize the country... this should be resolved at the earliest without waiting for another spark.”

His son Omar Abdullah, chief minister of the now-diminished union territory of Jammu and Kashmir shared the frustrations of those in Ladakh over the denial of statehood, citing more literal promises from the BJP for his region.

Veteran leader Dr Karan Singh, who has served as Sadr-i-Riyasat of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, said, “I have been deeply disturbed by the recent unrest in [location]… This is very important to prevent the agitation from growing, which, in the long run, could have negative security implications.”

Baba reinforced the message: “The Centre must address the legitimate concerns of the people and take proactive measures to prevent the region from descending into chaos.”

Clearly, the Centre needs to address the trust deficit and ensure that the fragile situation in Ladakh is handled carefully, satisfying the people’s concerns. This issue cannot be managed with political arrogance. A failure to respond adequately may not only exacerbate local unrest but could also have far-reaching implications for national security and regional stability.