Leh Residents Brace for Curbs Amid Protest Over September Police Firing Deaths

The Leh district administration imposed stringent curbs under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) 2023, ahead of a proposed two-hour silent march and three-hour blackout scheduled for Saturday across the Ladakh Union Territory. District Magistrate Romil Singh Donk cited apprehensions of public unrest, threats to human life, and potential law-and-order disruptions, as flagged by Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Leh, in justifying the measures.

The restrictions prohibit processions, rallies, or marches without prior written approval from authorities; ban vehicle-mounted or other loudspeakers absent permission; forbid statements that could incite public tranquillity disturbances; and limit assemblies of five or more persons in Leh. These steps come in response to calls by the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) for a peaceful demonstration to honour victims of recent violence, underscoring escalating tensions in the strategically vital region amid demands for greater autonomy.

The planned action stems from the September 24, 2025, unrest in Leh, where protests against the non-local status granted to outsiders under the 2019 domicile rules turned violent, resulting in four deaths from police firing and numerous injuries. Demonstrators torched the local BJP office and clashed with security forces, prompting LAB and KDA—a coalition of Buddhist and Shia Muslim leaders representing Ladakh's diverse demographics—to suspend ongoing tripartite talks with the central government.

The alliances have urged participants to don black armbands in solidarity, framing the event as a non-confrontational expression of grief and resolve. This follows a pattern of agitations since Ladakh's bifurcation from Jammu and Kashmir in 2019, where residents decry the loss of constitutional safeguards, environmental vulnerabilities from unchecked development, and erosion of land rights in a high-altitude desert prone to climate fragility.

In the wake of the crackdown, LAB and KDA reiterated core demands: a judicial probe led by a retired Supreme Court judge into the firings; immediate release of all detainees, including prominent climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, currently held under the National Security Act (NSA) in Jodhpur Central Jail; and comprehensive compensation for victims' families. Wangchuk's 21-day hunger strike in March 2024 had galvanised global attention to Ladakh's plight, highlighting ecological threats from unchecked mining and tourism.

The Centre responded swiftly by instituting a judicial inquiry commission on October 16, headed by retired Justice Daniel Stanley of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court, to investigate the September 24 incident within three months. This panel, comprising administrative and police representatives, aims to ascertain facts, fix accountability, and recommend measures to prevent recurrence, signalling a conciliatory gesture amid criticisms of heavy-handed policing.

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The curbs reflect broader challenges in managing dissent in Ladakh, a buffer zone bordering China and Pakistan, where tourism sustains 80% of the economy but strains resources in a population of 290,000 across vast terrains. With the blackout slated from 7 to 10 p.m., authorities have deployed additional forces, including CRPF units, to enforce compliance while assuring minimal disruption to essential services. Local voices, including Leh's monastic leaders, emphasise non-violence, drawing parallels to the 2020-21 agitations that secured promises of statehood—yet unfulfilled.

As the inquiry unfolds, Saturday's events could test the fragile equilibrium, with LAB and KDA vowing to resume dialogue only upon meeting their preconditions. In a region emblematic of India's federal experiment, this standoff underscores the imperative for inclusive governance to harmonise security, ecology, and cultural preservation.

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