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EYE ON INDIA                                                        OCTOBER 10, 2025       |  The Indian Eye                    8


                           Ladakh at the Crossroads:





                     Calm Returns as Government




         Probes Wangchuk’s Role in Violence





           After deadly protests shook Leh, the administration is restoring order, even as the arrest of Sonam

          Wangchuk raises questions about dissent, democracy, and the search for lasting peace in the region.


                                                                                                              mains the only sustainable path for-
        OUR BUREAU
                                                                                                              ward. Leaders of the Apex Body of
        Leh/New Delhi                                                                                         Leh and the Kargil Democratic Alli-
                                                                                                              ance have been invited for talks with
             or  the  first  time  since  violent                                                             the Centre, with discussions set to
             clashes erupted in Leh on Sep-
        Ftember 24, killing four people                                                                       continue until October 6.
        and injuring scores, a sense of nor-
        malcy is beginning to return to Lada-                                                                 The return of daily life to La-
        kh. Markets are reopening, vehicles                                                                   dakh’s streets offers hope that
        are back on the streets, and schools
        have resumed for lower classes. The                                                                   the September 24 violence was
        administration, led by Lieutenant                                                                     an aberration rather than a new
        Governor Kavinder Gupta, has as-
        sured that calm will be preserved                                                                     normal. Yet, the arrest of So-
        through dialogue, job creation, and a                                                                 nam Wangchuk casts a shadow
        magisterial inquiry into the causes of
        the unrest.                                                                                           over this fragile peace.
            Yet  beneath this  veneer  of  or-
        der lies a deeper tension: the gov-                                                                      For the government, it is a test
        ernment’s decision to detain climate   Ladakh Lieutenant Governor Kavinder Gupta chairs a review meeting to assess the security   of balancing security with democrat-
        activist and education reformer So-                scenario, in Leh (@lg_ladakh X/ANI Photo)          ic space. For Ladakh’s people, it is a
        nam Wangchuk under the National                                                                       question of whether their most trust-
        Security Act (NSA), accusing him  to reopen.                        evidence,” LG Gupta said, defending  ed voices will be silenced or heard.
        of inciting violence during protests   “After a day or two, everything   Wangchuk’s detention under NSA.   Ultimately, Ladakh stands at
        demanding statehood and inclusion  will be completely normal,” LG Gup-  While  the  specifics  of  the  evidence  a crossroads: it can either move
        of Ladakh under the Sixth Sched-  ta said. “The incident of 24th Septem-  have not been disclosed, officials ar-  towards reconciliation through di-
        ule. The move has sparked a fresh  ber was truly painful and tragic, and   gue that Ladakh’s status as a sensitive  alogue and trust-building, or risk
        debate—was Wangchuk unfairly tar-  should not have happened. We are   border region makes it imperative to  deepening mistrust if popular leaders
        geted for being the most prominent  ensuring it does not happen again.”  clamp down on anything that risks  are branded as threats rather than
        voice of Ladakh’s aspirations, or does   Behind the scenes, security agen-  spiralling into instability.  partners in peace.
        the government genuinely believe he  cies are focusing on restoring faith in   From the government’s perspec-  Despite internal unrest, Lada-
        crossed the line into provocation?  governance. A magisterial inquiry has   tive, the calculus is clear: Ladakh lies  kh’s  larger challenge remains the
            The protests, which had begun  been announced to determine what   at the frontier with both China and  unsettled border with China. Since
        as peaceful demonstrations, spiralled  triggered the clashes and whether the   Pakistan. Any escalation of unrest,  the deadly Galwan clash of 2020,
        into violence when agitators clashed  police  response  was  proportionate.   especially if led by a figure as prom-  both armies have engaged in multiple
        with police and torched a political  Citizens  have  been  invited  to  share   inent as Wangchuk, risks not only in-  rounds of talks, leading to partial dis-
        party  office.  Police  retaliation  left  evidence—oral, written, or video—  ternal law and order but also national  engagement in some friction points.
        four people dead—Jigmet Dorjey,  ensuring transparency in the process.  security. The NSA detention,  they  Yet, tensions persist at Depsang and
        Rinchen Dadul, Stanzin Namgail,       Amid this drive for peace, Wang-  argue, is a preventive rather than pu-  Demchok, where Chinese presence
        and Tsewang Tharchin.             chuk’s arrest has emerged as the   nitive measure.                  restricts  Indian patrols.  The  gov-
            The tragedy shocked the region,  flashpoint. Known globally for his pi-  At  the  heart  of  the  conflict  lies  ernment has boosted infrastructure,
        forcing the administration to impose  oneering work in education and envi-  Ladakh’s long-standing demand for  building all-weather roads and ad-
        curfews  and  restrict  movement.  For  ronmental sustainability, Wangchuk   statehood and constitutional protec-  vanced landing grounds to strength-
        nearly a week, Ladakh’s bustling  has long advocated for Ladakh’s eco-  tions under the Sixth Schedule. Pro-  en deployment. While Beijing insists
        town of Leh resembled a ghost city.  logical preservation and constitution-  testers argue that without these safe-  on “status quo,” India stresses res-
        But in the days since, the administra-  al safeguards. But the government   guards, Ladakh’s fragile ecology and  toration of pre-2020 positions. For
        tion has carefully relaxed restrictions,  alleges  that  his  influence  over  local   unique  culture  are  at  risk  of  being  Ladakhis,  peace  at  home  feels  in-
        allowing markets to operate between  youth and protest groups may have   overwhelmed by unchecked develop-  complete without security along the
        10 a.m. and 6 p.m., public transport  crossed into instigation.     ment and demographic changes.     frontier, where the shadow of China
        to run, and schools up to class eight   “Action has been taken based on   Dialogue, LG Gupta argues, re-  shapes every strategic calculation.


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