Ladakh Lt Governor Claims Peace Restored, Lab Calls It An Illusion

SRINAGAR: Ladakh’s Lieutenant Governor, Kavinder Gupta, on Monday declared that the Union Territory has regained peace following the worst violence in years in the capital, Leh, last month. The unrest, which claimed four civilian lives, injured over eighty people—half of them police personnel—and led to widespread vandalism of properties, has been brought under control, he said. After Gupta’s holding another security review meeting with top-most security and civil administration officials in Leh, his office in a post on ‘X” quoted him as saying, “The Union Territory remains peaceful, with schools, offices, and markets reopened.” He asked the officials to “remain vigilant and focus on peace and development.” However, Leh Apex Body (LAB) which with Kargl Democratic Alliance (KDA) is advocating a four-point agenda-statehood for Ladakh, Sixth Schedule inclusion, separate Lok Sabha seats for Leh and Kargil, and the establishment of a Public Service Commission (PSC) to secure local employment opportunities- claimed that the situation in the region remains far from normal. It demanded the immediate lifting of all restrictions and the release of detainees to restore public confidence. “Normalcy cannot be achieved through intimidation. What appears normal on the surface is merely an illusion,” LAB co-chairman Chering Dorjay said at a press conference, alleging that “mass arrests” continue unabated. The unrest and a series of violent incidents in Leh on September 24 led to the imposition of a curfew and the suspension of mobile internet services. While the curfew has been gradually lifted since early October, and schools up to Class 8 resumed functioning on October 3, prohibitory orders banning gatherings of five or more people remain in place. Mobile internet services continue to be suspended, and most educational institutions remain closed. Dorjay, flanked by other LAB members, emphasised the ongoing challenges in Leh. “Nothing is normal as the internet remains suspended, and mass arrests are still occurring,” he alleged. He called for the immediate lifting of all restrictions, the release of detainees, and the restoration of mobile internet services to rebuild public trust. “These measures are essential to restore normalcy in Ladakh,” he asserted, accusing the administration of harassing numberdars (village heads), who had informed communities about LAB’s hunger strike from September 10 to 24 in support of its demands. “Numberdars are an integral part of our culture and are being unjustly targeted. We condemn this as an attack on our heritage,” he said, urging the administration to cease such actions. He further argued that detaining community leaders would not restore peace and pressed for the release of all those detained. Dorjay clarified that the numberdars did not incite protests but merely fulfilled their role of communicating with villagers. “Normalcy cannot return through intimidation. Questioning numberdars is unjust,” he said, reaffirming LAB’s commitment to a peaceful struggle for statehood and Sixth Schedule protections. On Sunday, Lt. Governor Gupta reiterated his administration’s commitment to restoring full normalcy and ensuring public convenience at the earliest. Earlier, he had insisted on dialogue remaining the sole viable path to address the multifaceted issues confronting the landlocked Himalayan region and its people. “Dialogue is the only bridge to understanding and resolving the challenges of our landlocked region, fostering peace and progress for the people of Ladakh,” he said on Wednesday. Gupta’s statement aligned closely with a recent announcement from the Central Government, reiterating its commitment to engaging in constructive and outcome-focused discussions with Ladakh’s representative groups to resolve ongoing concerns amicably. The Central Government’s statement on September 29 came in response to the LAB withdrawing from scheduled talks in New Delhi. Despite this setback, the Centre underscored its willingness to hold open dialogues with both the LAB and the KDA at any time. These discussions would be facilitated through the High-Powered Committee (HPC) on Ladakh or other appropriate platforms, aiming to address demands such as statehood, Sixth Schedule protections, and greater autonomy for the region. However, both LAB and KDA insist on an independent probe, preferably led by a retired Supreme Court judge, into the police firing and security forces’ actions during the shutdown protests. Dorjay has repeatedly emphasised that talks “cannot be held at gunpoint” without accountability for the deaths and injuries. It also demands immediate and unconditional release of all arrested individuals, including over 30 people detained post-violence who remain in judicial custody and also seeks unconditional release of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, detained under the National Security Act (NSA) on September 26 and transferred to Jodhpur jail in Rajasthan.



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