A curfew remained in effect for the third consecutive day in Leh town on Friday, as a Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) team conducted meetings to assess the security situation following violent protests that claimed four lives and injured 90 others. The unrest erupted on Wednesday during a shutdown called by the Leh Apex Body (LAB) to press for statehood and the extension of the Sixth Schedule to Ladakh, a union territory since the 2019 abrogation of Article 370. Officials reported no fresh incidents, with police and paramilitary forces in riot gear patrolling the deserted streets to enforce order.

The curfew, imposed Wednesday evening, is likely to be partially relaxed later today to enable residents to procure essentials like rations, milk, and vegetables, according to a police official. Over 50 individuals have been detained in connection with the clashes, and prohibitory orders under Section 144—banning gatherings of five or more people—continue in major towns, including Kargil.

Leh District Magistrate Romil Singh Donk ordered the closure of all government and private schools, colleges, and anganwadi centres for two days starting Friday, prioritising safety amid shortages of basic supplies in affected areas. The violence has exacerbated hardships for locals, with complaints of dwindling stocks highlighting the human cost of the prolonged restrictions.

The MHA team arrived Thursday and engaged in discussions with Lieutenant Governor Brig. (Retd.) BD Mishra, civil and police officials, and LAB representatives. A joint statement from LAB chairman Thupstan Chhewang and co-chairman Chering Dorjay announced a preparatory meeting in New Delhi on September 27 or 28, involving three delegates each from LAB and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), alongside Ladakh MP Mohd Hanifa Jan.

This will precede an official dialogue on October 6 with an MHA high-powered committee, focusing on a four-point agenda: statehood, Sixth Schedule protections for tribal autonomy, separate Lok Sabha seats for Leh and Kargil, and a Public Service Commission for Ladakh.

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LAB and KDA have led a four-year agitation since Ladakh's bifurcation from Jammu and Kashmir, securing partial agreements on job reservations and an additional parliamentary seat pending delimitation. However, core demands for statehood and constitutional safeguards persist, rooted in fears of cultural erosion and loss of autonomy under direct central rule. In Kargil, shops reopened Friday after a KDA-called shutdown, but heavy police deployment ensured vigilance in sensitive zones.

As negotiations loom, the situation tests New Delhi's balancing act between security and regional aspirations in this strategically vital Himalayan region bordering China and Pakistan.

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