4 Killed, Many Injured In Clashes In Ladakh During Statehood Protests: Report

The protesters in Ladakh have been demanding statehood and constitutional safeguards for the region.

Four individuals lost their lives and numerous others sustained injuries during violent confrontations between demonstrators and security forces in Leh town, Ladakh, on Wednesday, according to the Press Trust of India, citing anonymous officials. Law enforcement had to resort to firing to control the situation after protesters, who were advocating for Ladakh's statehood and constitutional protections, clashed with police, attacked a BJP office, and damaged several vehicles, including one belonging to the police.

The confrontation—marking the first instance of violence during the ongoing statehood movement—began this morning when hundreds of protesters took to the streets. Previously, they had been conducting a hunger strike and had called for a complete shutdown today to emphasize their demand for statehood.

This violence occurred against the backdrop of upcoming discussions between the Leh Apex Body and the government. The Centre has scheduled a meeting with representatives on October 6 to resume negotiations regarding the demands of Ladakh's residents.

For the past two weeks, climate activist Sonam Wangchuk has been participating in a hunger strike in Ladakh, advocating for statehood and the inclusion of the region under the Constitution's Sixth Schedule.

Over the last three years, Ladakh has experienced growing dissatisfaction with direct Central governance, with inhabitants repeatedly calling for statehood and constitutional safeguards to protect their land, culture, and resources.

Ladakh was established as a separate Union Territory in August 2019, following the abrogation of Article 370 and the division of the former state of Jammu and Kashmir. Initially, many in Leh, including Mr. Wangchuk, welcomed this change. However, within a year, concerns began to arise over what residents described as a political vacuum under the Lieutenant Governor's administration.

This discontent sparked large-scale protests and hunger strikes. For the first time, political and religious groups from Buddhist-majority Leh and Muslim-majority Kargil united under a joint platform: the Apex Body of Leh and the Kargil Democratic Alliance.

In response, the Centre established a high-level committee to examine Ladakh's demands. However, multiple rounds of talks failed to achieve any breakthrough. In March, Ladakhi representatives met with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi. But the negotiations quickly collapsed, with local leaders claiming the Home Minister rejected their core demands.

"During the meeting, the Home Minister told us that he had made a mistake by carving out Ladakh as a separate Union Territory. He also rejected our demand for statehood and the Sixth Schedule," a leader who attended the meeting informed NDTV.