Protests seeking statehood in India’s Ladakh turn deadly

A protest demanding statehood for the Indian Himalayan region of Ladakh erupted into violence as protesters threw stones at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) office and clashed with police in the country’s Himalayan region.

Hundreds of protesters were injured by police’s use of tear gas on Wednesday, according to police, who used tear gas. According to residents, some of the injured were in critical condition.

Following the clashes, authorities in Leh district, the Ladakh region’s capital, ordered the assembly of more than five people.

Although no official figures have been made regarding the number of casualties, a local activist who has been on a hunger strike for the area’s border with China reported to Indian media that three to five people are alleged to have been killed by police gunfire.

“Many people have been injured, according to reports. Sonam Wangchuk’s statement on the Indian Express website was quoted as “we don’t know the exact count.”

The casualty statistics couldn’t be independently verified by Al Jazeera.

Youth organizations demanded the closure of Leh, which sparked protests.

The protests are a part of a larger movement in the region’s federally governed region that seeks a government’s right to make land and agricultural decisions independent.

When Ladakh’s government dissolved India-administered Kashmir in 2019, the region lost its autonomy. Since then, New Delhi has been in charge of the majority of the Muslim-Buddhist territory.

Protesters want Ladakh to receive special status that would enable the establishment of elected local authorities to protect its tribal regions.

The protests are fundamentally requesting Ladakh’s inclusion in the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution, which gives local communities a voice in how the regions are run.

Wangchuk demanded restraint as he called off his two-week-long hunger strike. My “peaceful path” message today failed. I ask the youth to stop this absurdity. He claimed that this only serves to further our cause.

District Administrator Romil Singh Donk declared a ban on inflammatory speech, public gatherings, and demonstrations in a public notice.

Ladakh’s government has been accused of not responding to their concerns by activists and local politicians. Recent discussions between local politicians and New Delhi representatives failed to produce any lasting solutions.

On October 6, the next round of discussions is anticipated to occur.