Leh Violence: Who Provoked Ladakh to Burn?
LEH: Leh has never seen such flames. The cold desert turned into a battlefield as protests for Ladakh’s Sixth Schedule and statehood spiraled into violence, leaving four young men dead.
Government offices, the BJP party office, and even the DGP’s office were set on fire — raising an urgent and uncomfortable question: Who provoked the youth?
The anger is not just against the tragedy, but against the silence. Netizens are pointing fingers at those who made inflammatory speeches and statements in the days leading up to the flare-up, allegedly inciting the crowd.
Activists, opposition voices, and even a few local political leaders are under scanner for whipping up passions.
Calls are growing louder that those responsible for provoking the youth must be identified, named, and punished under law.
Lt. Governor Kavinder Gupta, meanwhile, is being accused of waking up too late.
Only after the streets of Leh burned and four coffins were carried home did he chair a high-level security review meeting, promising vigilance and coordination.
“Why not two days earlier? Why wait for blood to spill?” is the common refrain.
The trigger, insiders say, was when three anshan volunteers collapsed and had to be hospitalized. At the same time, the Centre’s October 6 offer of talks was dismissed by Sonam Wangchuk as “too late.”
That mix of disappointment and despair, say locals, was exploited by those who fanned the flames with fiery words. The comparisons to Nepal’s Gen Z uprising are hard to miss.
At the root of this unrest lies Wangchuk’s demand for Sixth Schedule protection and full statehood for Ladakh.
For years, locals have argued that without constitutional safeguards, Ladakh’s fragile environment, culture, and people will be at the mercy of outside interests.
Yet instead of calm dialogue, the situation descended into violence.
Now the pressure is squarely on the administration. Ladakhis are demanding a judicial probe not just into the killings, but into who incited the violence.
“We want names, not excuses,” say protesters. “Punish them under law — whether politician, activist, or outsider — because Ladakh’s peace has been murdered in broad daylight.”
For the first time, the peaceful land of monasteries is staring at deep scars.
And the question echoes louder than ever: Who will answer for Ladakh’s lost peace — and who will be held guilty for provoking its youth?
#LehViolence #LadakhProtests #SixthSchedule #JusticeForLadakh
