Ladakh: 4 die, 70 injured in protests in Leh; BJP office, CRPF vehicle torched; what Sonam Wangchuk said
On Wednesday, there were violent protests in Leh, where people were asking for full statehood for Ladakh. Students clashed with police, leading to four deaths and over 70 injuries.
During the protests, students threw stones at the police and set fire to a BJP office and a CRPF vehicle. The local government has now banned any rallies without permission in Leh.
The protests were in support of Sonam Wangchuk, a social activist who has been on a hunger strike for 15 days. The protesters called for a shutdown to show their anger over unmet demands, which led to the violence.
The visuals of the protest also showed students raising slogans against the central government. What began as a peaceful demonstration quickly escalated when protesters clashed with police and paramilitary forces. The protestors, many of them young students, shouted slogans demanding full statehood for Ladakh.
This is a sad day for Ladakh: Wangchuk
Wangchuk expressed sadness over the situation, saying, "This is a sad day for Ladakh. We have been peaceful for five years. Today, we see peace failing with violence and destruction. I urge the young people of Ladakh to stop this. We will end our fast and stop the protests."
Sonam Wangchuk is an engineer, innovator and social activist. He is widely respected in Ladakh for his work in education and environmental initiatives. He is the founder of Students' Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh (SECMOL) -- a movement that works to improve education in rural areas of Ladakh. He is also vocal and active on various social and environmental issues.
Sonam Wangchuk has also been honoured with the Ramon Magsaysay Award in 2018 for his contributions.
The next meeting about these demands will take place in Delhi on October 6. In 2019, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh became union territories when Articles 370 and 35A were removed. The government had promised to restore full statehood when the situation improved.
Prakash Kumar Pandey