Leh: Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk on Wednesday ended his 15-day hunger strike as protests demanding statehood for Ladakh and the extension of the Sixth Schedule turned violent. The BJP office and several vehicles were set ablaze, and hundreds of people took to the streets.
Dark smoke and flames were visible across the Ladakh capital, which witnessed a complete shutdown. Authorities imposed prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the BNSS, banning the assembly of five or more people.
“I urge the youth of Ladakh to stop the violence immediately, as it only harms our cause and worsens the situation. We do not want instability in Ladakh or the country,” Wangchuk told his large gathering of supporters, as teargas shells erupted in the background.
He also released a video on his X handle appealing for peace.
The protest was called by the Ladakh Apex Body (LAB) youth wing after two of the 15 hunger strikers, who had been on a 35-day strike since September 10, were hospitalized following a deterioration in their condition on Tuesday evening.
The Constitution’s Sixth Schedule, currently applicable to the tribal populations of Tripura, Meghalaya, Mizoram, and Assam, provides special governance provisions, judicial mechanisms, and financial powers through autonomous councils. Activists have been pushing for its extension to Ladakh.
A new round of talks between the Ministry of Home Affairs and Ladakh representatives, including members of the LAB and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), is scheduled for October 6. Both bodies have been leading the agitation over the past four years and have held multiple rounds of discussions with the government.
Following the protest call, Leh town observed a shutdown. Crowds gathered at the NDS Memorial Ground and marched through the streets, chanting slogans in support of the Sixth Schedule and statehood. Clashes escalated when some youth threw stones at the BJP and Hill Council headquarters. Police and paramilitary forces used teargas to control the situation.
Protesters also set fire to a security vehicle and the BJP office, destroying furniture and documents inside. Reinforcements were deployed, and the situation was brought under control after several hours.
The Centre had invited the LAB and KDA for talks on September 20, nearly four months after stalled negotiations and ten days after Wangchuk began his strike. Tensions heightened after Tsering Angchuk (72) and Tashi Dolma (60) were hospitalized, prompting LAB constituents to urge the Centre to advance the talks.
Former MP and LAB chairperson Thupstan Chhewang, who had resigned after the last talks on May 27, has returned and is expected to lead the joint delegation. The Congress party withdrew from the LAB to maintain a non-political stance ahead of the Leh Hill Council elections next month.
The KDA has called for a complete shutdown in Kargil on Thursday, in solidarity with the hunger strikers and to press for earlier talks.
