Ladakh Government Announces Protection Measures for Land and Jobs Amid Unrest Following September Violence

Srinagar:

The government issued its first comprehensive policy statement today following the recent unrest in Ladakh, announcing several confidence-building measures that include protection of land, jobs, and the demographic character of the region.

Officials confirmed their commitment to addressing the aspirations of Ladakh's people and expressed readiness to initiate dialogue, while attributing the violence and disruption of previous dialogue efforts to activist Sonam Wangchuk.

The administration has also decided to release all protesters in accordance with court orders.

Pawan Kotwal, Ladakh's Chief Secretary, delivered the statement, announcing the release of 40 detainees who were arrested following the arson and violence in Leh on September 24.

He noted that 30 detainees have already been released from custody.

The protests erupted while demonstrators were demanding statehood and constitutional safeguards for Ladakh during a hunger strike led by Sonam Wangchuk. Violence broke out on September 24, and Wangchuk was subsequently charged under the National Security Act (NSA) and transferred to Jodhpur jail.

"The Government stands committed to meet the aspirations of Ladakh and is keen to start the dialogue process soon. The land, resources, jobs and livelihood of Ladakhis would remain protected," the Chief Secretary stated.

Reading from a prepared statement, Kotwal added, "The government would continue to work with the people of Ladakh to protect the ecosystem and as well as its cultural identity."

"There is no sign of demographic changes or cultural homogenisation," he emphasized.

According to the Chief Secretary, the government had been addressing issues through dialogue before the process was sabotaged. Without explicitly naming Wangchuk, Kotwal suggested that "certain sections sabotaged the process purely for personal and political gains at the cost of Ladakh."

"With a premeditated approach, certain sections worked to derail the process, continued the hunger strike despite scheduled talks and misled the people, thereby creating a law and order situation on September 24 and the subsequent loss of four lives," he stated.

The Chief Secretary maintained that the September 24 incidents could have been avoided if leaders had suspended the hunger strike in a timely manner.

"The entire episode could have been avoided if some leaders had risen from personal and political ambitions by calling off the hunger strike timely," said Kotwal.

He expressed confidence that "all the details of firing will also come out during the course of investigations."

Four fatalities occurred after protesters set fire to the BJP headquarters in Leh and burned down a government office and several police vehicles.

The Chief Secretary reiterated that there is no commercial exploitation of resources or mining activities in Ladakh.

Wangchuk has accused the government of exploiting Ladakh's resources and has characterized this as a significant threat to the region's fragile ecological balance.

The activist maintained his hunger strike for 15 days, demanding statehood and constitutional safeguards for Ladakh. He called off the protest shortly after violence erupted in Leh.

Over the past four years, Ladakh has experienced increasing discontent with direct central rule. Residents have consistently called for statehood and constitutional protections to safeguard 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. Many in Leh, including Wangchuk, initially welcomed this change. However, within a year, concerns began to emerge regarding what locals described as a political vacuum under the Lieutenant Governor's administration.

This dissatisfaction led to widespread 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 central government established a high-level committee to examine Ladakh's demands.

However, multiple rounds of discussions failed to produce a breakthrough. In March this year, Ladakhi representatives met with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi.

The negotiations ultimately collapsed when Ladakhi leaders reported that the Home Minister had rejected their primary 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," one leader who participated in the meeting informed NDTV.