Clashes with police, stone pelting, fire at BJP office and 4 dead: Why is Gen Z protesting in Ladakh?

Violent protests erupted in Leh on Thursday (Sep 24) with protesters clashing with police forces and pelting stones at officials as they demanded statehood and implementation of the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution. Student and youth organisations had called for a shutdown on Tuesday to press the government on their demands. On Wednesday, they took to the streets and set the Ladakh BJP headquarters on fire. Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, who is one of the organisers of the protest, has been observing a hunger strike for a period of 15 days. However, as the protests turned violent, he ended his strike and urged angry protesters to stop the violence immediately.

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Sonam Wangchuk says, “Today, on the 15th day of our fast, I am deeply saddened to report that widespread violence and vandalism erupted in Leh city. Several offices and police vehicles were set on fire. I appeal to the young generation of Ladakh, not to follow this path of violence because it thwarts my five years of efforts. I've been fasting for so many years, marching peacefully, and then resorting to violence; this is not our path. I request the young generation to approach the government through peace. I want the government to listen to the message of peace.”

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Why are the people of Leh-Ladakh protesting?

On September 10, an independent organisation called the Leh Apex Body announced a 15-day hunger strike. Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk also joined the protest under the banner of LAB. The LAB, along with the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), are the primary groups that have been in dialogue with the Ministry of Home Affairs over its demands. These groups and Wangchuk launched a similar protest last September and announced a march to the national capital, Delhi.

"We have been running a movement here for a long time on four issues of Ladakh. There were some incidents that led to acts of violence. During this violence, 2-3 young men have been martyred for our cause. I want to assure the people of Ladakh that we will not let the sacrifices made by these young people today go to waste," Thupstan Tswang, Chairman of the Apex body of Ladakh, said while speaking to ANI.

Ladakh was made a separate Union Territory in August 2019, after the Centre abrogated Article 370 and bifurcated the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir. At the time, many in Leh, including Wangchuk, had welcomed the move. But a political vacuum soon added to discontentment. People of the region accused the Centre of neglecting them and undermining their rights with only a focus on Jammu and Kashmir.

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The primary demands of the protesters are statehood and inclusion of Ladakh in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution. Under the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution, areas can set up separate Autonomous District Councils (ADCs). It also grants the power of self-governance to these areas, which in turn allows them to protect their cultural, social, and economic rights of indigenous tribal communities. The Centre's high-level committee is examining the demands of Ladakhis. In March, Ladakhi representatives met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi but the talks have not yielded results as their core demands were rejected.