Ladakh Protests Highlights: The statehood movement in Ladakh turned violent on Wednesday, erupting into arson and street clashes that left four people dead and at least 59 injured, including 22 police personnel, according to officials.
As violence swept through the region, marking the worst unrest since 1989, climate activist Sonam Wangchuk ended his two-week hunger strike, which was aimed at demanding statehood for Ladakh and the inclusion of the region under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution. In response to the escalating chaos, authorities imposed a curfew in Leh district to restore order.
According to PTI citing government sources, the Centre has remained open to dialogue and is considering moving up the October 6 meeting of the High Powered Committee with the agitating groups, Apex Body of Leh (ABL) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), to September 25–26.
Ladakh and its youth are paying a huge price for the narrow politics played by certain individuals and the personal ambitions of activist Sonam Wangchuk, they claimed.
BJP blames Congress
The BJP alleged that the violence was a part of the Congress’ nefarious design to create situations in the country similar to Bangladesh, Nepal and the Philippines.
“Today in Ladakh, an attempt was made to portray some protests as being led by ‘Gen Z’ but when an investigation was carried out, it was found that this was not a Gen Z protest but actually a Congress protest,” BJP MP and national spokesperson Sambit Patra told reporters in Delhi.
What is the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution?
The Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution provides for the administration of tribal areas in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram through the creation of autonomous councils and regions.
This schedule, enacted under Article 244(2) and Article 275(1), aims to protect the rights, culture, and resources of tribal communities by granting them significant autonomy in areas like land, forests, and governance, while also safeguarding them from exploitation.
Each autonomous district is to have a District Council with a maximum of 30 members. Out of these, no more than four can be nominated by the Governor, while the remaining members must be elected through adult suffrage.
In addition, the Schedule also provides for the creation of a Regional Council for each autonomous region within an autonomous district, ensuring localised governance and representation for distinct tribal communities.
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