By Eniola Amadu
At least four people were killed and more than 50 others injured on Wednesday as protests in India’s Himalayan region of Ladakh demanding statehood and job quotas for locals escalated into violent clashes with police.
Two sources told Reuters that the unrest broke out in Leh, the region’s main city, where demonstrators led by activist Sonam Wangchuk took to the streets to press their demands.
The protesters are seeking full statehood for Ladakh, which lost its autonomy in 2019 when it was carved out of Jammu and Kashmir and placed under the direct control of New Delhi by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government.
They are also calling for constitutional safeguards to protect tribal areas and ensure job reservations for indigenous residents, alongside elected local bodies with greater decision-making powers.
The violence saw the office of Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Leh vandalised and set ablaze, according to news agency ANI, in which Reuters has a minority stake.
Black smoke was seen billowing from behind the building’s boundary wall, while television footage showed an abandoned police vehicle on fire as crowds chanted slogans.
Police said more than 50 people were injured, including 20 officers, as security forces clashed with young protesters who hurled stones. Tear gas was deployed in an effort to disperse the crowds.
Wangchuk, who had been leading a fortnight-long hunger strike, condemned the violence and urged restraint.
“It was the frustration of the youth that brought them to the streets. I appeal to the youth—don’t walk on this path of violence,” he said, announcing an end to his fast.
“This is not a solution to Ladakh’s problem. If our youth have sorrow and pain, then we are breaking our hunger strike from today.”
The administration responded by banning demonstrations, public gatherings and inflammatory speeches in order to maintain peace, according to a public notice issued by district officer Romil Singh Donk.
Ladakh, which borders China, is strategically significant for India, both militarily and geopolitically. The federal home ministry has been holding talks with Ladakh leaders since 2023 and has said it is reviewing their demands.
The next round of discussions between New Delhi and Ladakh representatives is scheduled for October 6.
