Arson and violence in Leh, Sonam Wangchuk calls off strike

Leh | Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk on Wednesday called off his 15-day hunger strike as the movement for statehood for Ladakh and extension of the Sixth Schedule took a violent turn with the BJP office and several vehicles set on fire and hundreds of people taking to the streets.

Flames and dark smoke clouds could be seen from afar amid a complete shutdown in the Ladakh capital.

The administration imposed prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the BNSS to ban the assembly of five or more people, officials said.

"I request the youth of Ladakh to stop the violence forthwith as it only causes harm to our cause and further deteriorates the situation. We do not want instability in Ladakh and the country,” Wangchuk told his supporters who had gathered in large numbers at the venue of the strike.

Teargas shells were heard in the backdrop.

As the clashes intensified, Wanchuk also put out a video message on his X handle appealing to the youth to remain peaceful and stop violence. The Ladakh Apex Body (LAB) youth wing called for the protest after two of the 15 people, who were on a 35-day hunger strike since September 10, were shifted to a hospital after their condition deteriorated on Tuesday evening.

The Constitution's Sixth Schedule, meant for the tribal population of the four northeast states of Tripura, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Assam, makes special provisions in terms of governance, powers of president and the governor, type of local bodies, alternate judicial mechanisms and financial powers exercised through autonomous councils.

The movement for extending the Sixth Schedule to Ladakh has been gathering pace.

A fresh round of talks is scheduled between the ministry of home affairs and Ladakh representatives, comprising members of the LAB and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), on October 6.

The two bodies have been been jointly spearheading an agitation over the past four years in support of their demands and have held several rounds of talks with the government in the past.

Responding to the protest call, Leh town shut down and large crowds assembled at the NDS memorial ground and later took out a march through the streets of the town, chanting slogans in support of the Sixth Schedule and statehood, officials said.

The situation worsened when some youth pelted stones at the headquarters of the BJP and the Hill Council. Police and paramilitary forces, deployed in strength across the town, lobbed teargas shells to bring the situation under control, the officials said.

Groups of youth set ablaze a security vehicle and some more, and also targeted the BJP office. They set fire to furniture and papers within the complex and one of the buildings.

Reinforcements were rushed to the scene and the situation was brought under control after several hours of intense clashes, officials monitoring the situation added.

After nearly four months of stalled talks, the Centre on September 20 extended an invitation to the LAB and KDA for the talks – 10 days after Wangchuk began the hunger strike. Tensions spiralled after Tsering Angchuk (72) and Tashi Dolma (60) were hospitalized after their condition deteriorated on Tuesday. This led to concern among the LAB constituents who urged the Centre to advance the talks.

Former MP and LAB chairperson Thupstan Chhewang, who had resigned from the body after the last round of talks on May 27, has returned returned to the helm and is likely to lead the joint delegation during the negotiations.

The Congress opted out of the LAB after some constituents expressed the view that the LAB delegation should be non-political in view of the Leh Hill Council elections next month.

The KDA had called for a complete shutdown in Kargil on Thursday in solidarity with the people on the hunger strike and to press for advancing the talks