Students were protesting in support of social activist Sonam Wangchuk, who had been on a hunger strike for the past 15 days. He protested against the non-fulfillment of their demands, the demonstrators had called a shutdown today, which turned violent.
‘’This is a sad day for Ladakh. For the past five years, we have been walking the path of peace. We went on a hunger strike and even walked from Leh to Delhi. Today, I see our message of peace failing. There is violence, shootings, and arson. I appeal to the youth of Ladakh to stop this. We are ending our hunger strike and calling off the protests’’Wangchuk said.
In 2019, when Articles 370 and 35A were revoked, Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh were made Union Territories. At that time, the government had assured that full statehood would be restored once the situation normalised.
Planning on social media a day before; Government had not given any immediate response or sign of dialogue regarding the demand. So, on Tuesday, Sonam’s supporters planned to protest in front of the Hill Council office in Leh. Since Ladakh became a UT, the Hill Council office has been the most important administrative centre. The protest was called through social media channels that very night.
Thousands gather: On Wednesday morning, thousands of people started gathering outside the Hill Council office in Leh. The Ladakh police and central security forces had already set up barricades. Initially, there were arguments between the protesters and the police, which then escalated into clashes.
Clashes between police and protesters: The police fired tear gas to disperse the crowd. However, the enraged protesters first set a police vehicle on fire and began vandalising property. Some protesters entered the nearby BJP office and set it on fire, causing extensive damage. Reports suggest several people were injured in the stone-pelting.
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