Leh, India, September 27: The Himalayan town of Leh in India’s Ladakh region remained under curfew on Thursday after violent protests left four people dead and dozens injured, prompting a heavy security crackdown and the closure of schools.
The unrest erupted on Wednesday when demonstrators stormed the offices of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, setting the central secretariat ablaze. Police opened fire after clashes turned violent, killing four men, including a retired soldier, and injuring at least 15 others, authorities said. Around 30 police personnel were also hurt.
S.D. Singh Jamwal, Ladakh’s director-general of police, said 42 people had been arrested on charges of rioting. “One of the seriously injured has been airlifted to Delhi for treatment,” he said.
The protests coincided with the 15th day of a hunger strike led by climate activist Sonam Wangchuk and his supporters, demanding statehood for Ladakh and constitutional protections under the Sixth Schedule. Locals have accused the federal government of delaying dialogue on the issue.
Chering Dorjey Lakrook, president of the Ladakh Buddhist Association, said the four victims’ bodies had been cremated in Leh in the presence of families. Community leaders have demanded a judicial inquiry into the use of live ammunition and pellet guns.
Ladakh’s Lieutenant-Governor Kavinder Gupta chaired a high-level security meeting and warned that those responsible for violence “will not be spared.” The district administration ordered schools across Leh to shut for two days.
In neighbouring Kargil, residents observed a shutdown in solidarity with Leh, closing shops, offices and educational institutions.
Ladakh was carved out as a federal territory from Jammu and Kashmir in 2019. Since then, local groups have pressed for greater autonomy and safeguards to protect land and jobs, demands that have fuelled growing agitation in the remote region.
