Leh, Ladakh — A sudden eruption of violence shook Leh on Tuesday as protesters demanding statehood and constitutional safeguards clashed with police, marking the first major breakdown of order in Ladakh’s ongoing agitation, according to NDTV.
What began as a hunger strike and a call for a peaceful shutdown escalated into pitched street battles. Hundreds of demonstrators poured into the streets, hurling stones at security forces and torching a police van. Anger spilled further when the BJP office in Leh was attacked. Police responded with tear gas and baton charges to disperse the crowds.
The unrest comes just days before crucial talks between Ladakhi representatives and the central government, scheduled for October 6. At stake are the protesters’ long-standing demands: full statehood and protections under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution to safeguard land, jobs, and culture in the fragile Himalayan region.
For two weeks, climate activist Sonam Wangchuk has led a hunger strike, lending moral weight to the movement. His fast underscores a broader disillusionment that has spread since 2019, when Ladakh was carved into a Union Territory after Article 370’s abrogation. At first, many welcomed the move. But within a year, residents began to feel abandoned under the Lieutenant Governor’s direct rule, lamenting a “political vacuum.”
That frustration has since united Buddhist-majority Leh and Muslim-majority Kargil, once divided by identity, into a rare joint front. The Apex Body of Leh and the Kargil Democratic Alliance now lead the agitation.
Earlier this year, talks with Union Home Minister Amit Shah collapsed, with local leaders claiming he dismissed their core demands. The growing volatility in Leh signals that without a breakthrough, Ladakh’s demand for dignity and self-rule may only intensify.
