LEH (Ladakh): A day after the violent clashes that left four civilians dead in Leh, amidst restrictions imposed on assembly of more than four-five persons, public fury is mounting over the Ministry of Home Affairs' (MHA) decision to blame activist Sonam Wangchuk for the deadly violence.
Locals say the protests are neither new nor limited. They are the culmination of years of silence, broken promises, and deepening anxieties since the region was separated from Jammu and Kashmir in 2019.
“We are not on the streets because one man told us to be,” said Rigzin Namgyal, a 27-year-old unemployed graduate in Leh. “Every home in Ladakh is carrying this fire. If Delhi thinks this is one man’s show, they are blind to our suffering.”
For many young Ladakhis, the government’s framing was dismissive of their lived realities. Padma Angmo, a 20-year-old college student, said the statement only hardened her resolve. “We have been demanding safeguards for years. Today our brothers have died, and Delhi says it is the fault of one person. They don’t want to admit that Ladakhis — Buddhists and Muslims, Leh and Kargil alike — are united in this.”
The MHA's statement late Wednesday accused Wangchuk of "inciting" the mob through "provocative speeches" during his hunger strike for statehood and Sixth Schedule status for Ladakh. The government's response, combined with the police firing that killed four young civilians and injured over 30 security personnel, has deepened public outrage across the region.
On Thursday, the government cancelled the FCRA registration Wangchuk’s nonprofit, Students Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh (SECMOL) over 'repeat' violations of the law governing foreign funding for non-governmental organisations.
The locals see these actions since Wednesday as an attempt to add salt to injury. On September 24, Wednesday, a spontaneous shutdown had paralysed Leh town as thousands of young demonstrators took to the streets. The anger was triggered when two elderly activists, Tsering Angchuk (72) and Tashi Dolma (60), who were part of the hunger strike led by Sonam Wangchuk, were rushed to the hospital after their condition deteriorated on the fourteenth day of their fast.
"This hospitalisation acted as the flashpoint, unleashing a torrent of pent-up frustration and anger from the region's unemployed youth," said a protestor, Arjun.
Violence erupted when protesters broke away from a peaceful demonstration near Martyrs' Ground at approximately 11:30 am, subsequently attacking political and government offices and setting a police vehicle ablaze.
Among the dead were Tharchin (46) from Skur Buchan, Jigmet Dorjay (25) of Kharnalling, Stanzin Namgyal (23) from Igoo, and Dadul (20) from Hanu.
Many Ladakhis spoken to reject the claim that the protests were being manipulated.
Abdul Majeed, a shopkeeper in Kargil, said: “We don’t need Sonam Wangchuk to tell us that our jobs, our land, our culture are at risk. We have been saying it ourselves since 2019. The government doesn’t want to hear that Ladakh is standing together, so they pretend it is one man’s drama.”
Sonam Tsering, a 55-year-old barley farmer, agitatedly told the Kashmir Times, “Our water is drying, our mountains are melting, and companies from outside are lining up to take our land. When we ask for constitutional safeguards, Delhi says we are being misled. Who is misleading whom? They promised us protection but gave us bullets.”
Even Ladakhis, who once welcomed Union Territory (UT) status said, “they now feel betrayed by the government’s rhetoric.”
Mohammad Ali, a retired employee, said, “At first, we thought UT meant more say in our future. But we were left without a legislature, without a public service commission, and without security for our tribal identity.”
He adds, with lament, “And now, when we protest, they blame Sonam Wangchuk. It is easier to attack one person than admit an entire region is rising.”
“Our pain is collective,” said Tsewang Dorje, a student. “If Delhi thinks silencing Sonam Wangchuk will silence Ladakh, they will be proven wrong. We are not a desert of empty voices. We are many, and today, we are united.”
The current unrest stems from years of unfulfilled demands since Ladakh was separated from Jammu and Kashmir in 2019 as a Union Territory. Local leaders from the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) have been pressing for statehood and inclusion under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, which would provide greater autonomy and protection for the region's tribal population.
The MHA claimed the violence was an attempt to "sabotage the dialogue process," citing "phenomenal results" in negotiations, including increased ST reservations, women's reservation in councils, and recruitment for 1,800 posts. However, local leaders reject these claims, arguing that their core demands remain unaddressed.
The government's accusation that Wangchuk misled people through references to "Arab Spring-style protest and references to Gen Z protests in Nepal" has further inflamed tensions. For many in Ladakh, the protests represent the culmination of years of silence, broken promises, and deepening anxieties about their future under direct central rule.
The mounting grievances, post 2019, led to an unprecedented alliance between historically divided districts - Buddhist-majority Leh and Muslim-majority Kargil - who found common ground in fears that their tribal identity, ecology, and jobs were vulnerable under direct central rule since 2019. Activist Sonam Wangchuk emerged as the movement's face, as he linked the constitutional demands with environmental threats.
Despite a High-Powered Committee established in January 2023 and multiple rounds of talks, the Centre failed to commit to the core demands of statehood and Sixth Schedule status.
Chering Dorjay, co-convenor of the LAB, explains, "We wanted separation... but we didn't want it this way. Our lands were protected, our jobs were protected, and now we are totally exposed to outside influence."
Explaining the catastrophic breakdown of peaceful protest on Wednesday, Dorjey blamed the delay in talks by the central government. He explained that after the MHA scheduled talks for October 6th, a "gap of 16 days" was left, which endangered the lives of the hunger strikers.
"There were many people who were on a hunger strike... to continue another 16 days hunger strike is too much for these people," Dorjey stated.
He noted that the hospitalization of two elderly hunger strikers became the immediate flashpoint. The protest site, which normally sees around 500 people, swelled to an "unexpectedly" large crowd, comprising many young people who are normally absent.
Dorjey described the youth as "very restive” and angry over deepening unemployment.
Grieved over the deaths of four Ladakhis in the violence, Dorjey is firm about prioritising the political issues. He stated the LAB's core focus for the upcoming talks remains solely on the crucial demands of "Statehood and Sixth Schedule."
"We don't want to play with their dead bodies," Dorjey asserted, confirming that the bodies of the deceased were handed over to their respective families. However, he confirmed the LAB is demanding a judicial probe into the excessive use of force, emphasizing that the police firing was indiscriminate.
"There was no previous... advance warning. First, there should be lathi charge, then tear gas, and only last resort should be the firing. So, they started firing right from the beginning."
He noted that most of the injured and dead had "blood injuries," indicating the use of bullets, and that even bystanders, including people from Doda, one from Kashmir, and one Nepalese person, were injured.
Dorjey vehemently rejected the LG's claim that external elements like Nepalese labourers joined the protest, calling it a "lie from the government to hide their weaknesses" and a predictable attempt to "always find a foreign hand in anything which happens in India."
While acknowledging Ladakh's satisfaction with separation from Kashmir, Dorjey emphasized the current issue lies with the "failed" UT administration's direct impact on Ladakhis' lives, confirming that talks with MHA officials will proceed despite the tragedy, with his final appeal being "to maintain peace."
Reaction to MHA action against Sonam Wangchuk
Former chief minister and Peoples' Democratic Party chief Mewhbooba Mufti said, "The Home Ministry’s cancellation of Sonam Wangchuk’s FCRA license is not governance , its frustration disguised as punishment. He is not anti government or anti national. He is simply holding the Union government to its own promises especially the commitment to extend the Sixth Schedule to Ladakh, to protect its land, jobs, identity, and fragile culture. Seeking accountability doesn’t amount to crime."
Taking to social media X, she posted her reaction saying, "The man who built ice stupas, solar schools, and lit up Ladakh with innovation and hope is now being targeted in darkness."
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