A group of protesters in Leh demanding statehood for Ladakh and its inclusion in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution set fire to the Bharatiya Janata Party office in the city on Wednesday, ANI reported.
The Sixth Schedule of the Constitution guarantees protection for land and nominal autonomy for citizens in designated tribal-dominated areas. In Ladakh, more than 97% of the population belongs to the Scheduled Tribes.
On Wednesday, the demonstrators clashed with and threw stones at the police, and set fire to a police vehicle. The protesters were holding a hunger strike and had called for a complete shutdown to demand statehood.
At least four persons were killed and 45, including 22 police personnel, were injured in the protest, PTI quoted unidentified officials as saying.
“Three to five young people have been killed because there was police firing,” The Indian Express quoted climate activist, Sonam Wangchuk, who has been leading the protests, telling reporters. “We have reports that many people have been injured. We don’t know the exact count.”
To bring the situation under control, the district administration in Leh banned five or more persons from assembling, ANI reported. The order by the district magistrate said that no processions, rallies or marches can be held without prior written permission.
Following the violence, Wangchuk called off his 15-day hunger strike, NDTV reported.
Wangchuk also said that violence was not the right way and called for restraint.
On Tuesday, an elderly woman and a man had fainted during the hunger strike, news of which spread quickly, prompting students to call for a shutdown on Wednesday, The Indian Express reported.
“This morning, a large number of people moved towards the anshan (hunger strike) site,” Congress leader Tsering Namgyal told the newspaper. “The youth went out of control.”
Namgyal added that a significant number of police and paramilitary personnel were already present at the location.
Wangchuk said he was saddened by the violence in Leh. “My message of peaceful path failed today,” I appeal to the youth to please stop this nonsense. This only damages our cause.”
On August 5, 2019, the BJP-led Union government abrogated the special status of Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 of the Constitution and bifurcated the state into the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.
This, along with the lack of a Legislature in Ladakh, has led to increasing insecurities among the residents of the Union Territory about their land, nature, resources and livelihoods and stoked fears that the region’s cultural identity and fragile ecosystem may be in jeopardy.
In this backdrop, civil society groups have been demanding that Ladakh be included in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution so that its identity can be protected.
Commenting on the demand, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said: “Ladakh wasn’t even promised Statehood, they celebrated UT status in 2019 and they feel betrayed & angry.”
Abdullah added: “Now try to imagine how betrayed & disappointed we in J&K feel when the promise of statehood to J&K remains unfulfilled even though we have gone about demanding it democratically, peacefully & responsibly.”
The inclusion of Ladakh in the Sixth Schedule would allow for the creation of autonomous development councils to govern land, public health and agriculture. Ten such councils exist in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram, the only states where the Sixth Schedule has been implemented.
Wangchuk had on September 10 started a 35-day hunger strike to push for the demands. He has held several protests demanding constitutional safeguards for Ladakh, including a 21-day hunger strike ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
In June, the Union government brought in an ordinance to amend the reservation policy in Ladakh. According to the ordinance, 85% of jobs and admissions in professional educational institutions in Ladakh shall be reserved for residents of the Union Territory.
However, civil society groups said that the ordinance was only the “first step” and that the core matters pertaining to statehood and Ladakh’s inclusion in the Sixth Schedule remained unaddressed.
Also read:
- Why is the Centre dragging its feet on autonomy for Ladakh?
- ‘Core issues remain’: Why Ladakh’s leaders are dissatisfied with Centre’s new domicile rules
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