How's Ladakh now? Talks in limbo as Leh remains under curfew, tourism suffers | Key points
Four persons killed in September 24 violence in Leh cremated, Leh Apex Body refuses to engage with Centre, Sonam Wangchuk's wife fights ‘anti-national’ tag
The capital of the union territory of Ladakh, Leh remained under curfew as of Monday, September 29, while activist Sonam Wangchuk, the face of the protest that turned violent on September 24, is now jailed in Jodhpur, Rajasthan.
Here are the latest updates on and from Leh, Ladakh:
- Cremations held: Two of the four protesters who lost their lives during the violence were cremated on Sunday amid tight security. The last rites of the other two were held on Monday, also amid heavy security arrangements.
- Peace amid tension: Curfew in Leh continued for the fifth consecutive day since the unrest, with a two-hour relaxation from 4 pm. Prohibitions under Section 163 of the BNSS, 2023, have been imposed, which means assembling five or more persons is prohibited in the district. Security personnel are deployed across Leh.
- Arrests so far: A total of 44 people have been arrested in connection with the violence, including Sonam Wangchuk, a prominent activist and advocate for the implementation of the Sixth Schedule in Ladakh for more autonomy and protection to tribal areas.
- 'No talks until…': The Leh Apex Body (LAB), a youth-heavy organisation that has been in talks with the Centre, on Monday announced that it will stay away from any further negotiations with the High Powered Committee of the home ministry till normalcy is restored in Ladakh. LAB chairman Thupstan Chhewang made the announcement shortly after the fourth victim of the violence, a former army soldier, was cremated. The MHA has said it remains open to talks.
- Tourism hit: Ladakh's tourism, a major part of its eceonomy, has felt a major blow following the unrest. The UT also saw widespread cancellations after the Pahalgam attack in neighbuoring J&K UT in April. "Upon my arrival here, to my shock, I found that everything was closed. I was not even able to exchange my currency and buy food. I was planning some sightseeing in Pangong lake but I failed to get the permit," Sheena, a tourist from Taiwan, told PTI.
After nearly four months of stalled talks, the Centre had on September 20 extended an invitation to the LAB and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA). The talks were scheduled for October 6. But the protesters said they had not been consulted while setting the date almost two weeks on when their activists were already on hunger strike.
“After a long struggle of 70 years, the Centre granted Union Territory status to Ladakh without a legislature (in August 2019), but it was not as per our expectations and justice. We felt that the safeguards provided to us under Article 370 and Article 35A were eroded along with democracy, prompting us to launch a fresh agitation for our genuine rights,” Chhewang said.
LAB blames CRPF for Leh violence
“Our struggle was continuing in a peaceful manner, but what happened on September 24 was beyond one’s understanding… the CRPF acted like hooligans and used excessive force, killing and injuring our people and creating an atmosphere of fear, grief and anger among the people of Ladakh,” he alleged.
This is in line with what activist Gitanjali Angmo, who is Sonam Wangchuk's wife, has also said. She has also objected to repeated labelling of Wangchuk as “anti-national”.
