Leh (Ladakh) [India], September 24 : Violence erupted during protests in Ladakh "didn't spiral on its own, it was engineered deliberately," government sources said on Wednesday evening.
The youth of the region are paying the heavy price for the "narrow political games being played, particularly by activist Sonam Wangchuk," the sources further said.
The sources said, "The situation didn't spiral on its own--it was engineered deliberately. Ladakh and its youth are paying huge price for the narrow politics played by certain individuals and personal ambitions by Sonam Wangchuk."
This comes after a massive protest by the people of Ladakh turned violent as the demonstrators targeted government buildings and the BJP office in Leh.
The sources added that the Centre was always open to dialogue, pointing out that a meeting with the High Powered Committee (HPC) was already scheduled for October 6 to address the concerns raised by the Apex Body Leh (ABL) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA).
"The Centre had already fixed October 6 for the meeting of the High Powered Committee to discuss all issues posed by ABL and KDA. The Center also agreed on the new members for HPC as proposed by ABL. Upon receiving a request for preponement, some meetings were being considered on Sept 25-26. In fact, the Center has been always ready for the talks and on earlier occasions also talks were also proposed on 25th July which did not receive positive response," the government sources stated.
It added, "But even with talks are lined up with open mind, violence was provoked. Why? Sonam Wangchuck has long hinted at wanting an Arab Spring-style protest in Ladakh. His references to Gen Z protests in Nepal now seem like a blueprint. Has he used the platform for his personal issues to hide certain irregularities which are coming in light now?"
Sources also alleged involvement of Congress leaders in the violence that erupted during the protests, saying that the entire episode "smacks of conspiracy motivated by politics and personal gains." They further said that the youth of Ladakh were "misled, caught up in a sinister plot for political and personal gain" and Centre stands committed for the welfare and empowerment of Ladakhi people and stands with the youth.
"Congress leaders made statements that almost sounded like instructions--talk of pelting stones, bandhs, arson. Why were they so ready? The entire episode smacks conspiracy motivated by politics and personal gains. The youth are not to be blamed. They were misled, caught up in a sinister plot for political and personal gain. The Centre stands committed for the welfare and empowerment of Ladakhi people and stands with the youth," the sources added.
Ladakh Lieutenant Governor Kavinder Gupta also said that the protest in Leh "smells of conspiracy" due to "attempts to incite people" and its comparison to protests in Bangladesh and Nepal.
Activist Sonam Wangchuk ended his 15-day hunger strike after clashes erupted in Leh over the demands of statehood and the inclusion of Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule.
In a press conference, Songam Wangchuk announced the decision as a precautionary measure to bring stability in the region. He believed that his protest could further spark violence in Leh and decided to call it off.
Wangchuk condemned the protest and appealed for peace in the region. He said that no party was involved in the protest, as he believes that no party is strong enough to mobilise youth there.
"This incident has disrupted our peaceful protest, which was going on for the last 5 years. We were getting indications from the youth that they thought the path of peace was not working. Today's incident was the precipitation of such things... No party is so strong in Leh that it can mobilise youth in large numbers. This was protest by the youth was only due to larger issues of umemployment and others...We saw Gen-Z's frenzy today...I understand their frustration over the last five years, but I condemn their way of protest," he said.
Earlier, Wangchuck, who has been at the forefront of the movement, appealed for peace, asking youth to "stop this nonsense" as the violence only "damages their cause."
Sharing a video on X, Wangchuk said, "Very sad by the events in Leh. My message of the peaceful path failed today. I appeal to the youth to please stop this nonsense. This only damages our cause.
In the video, Wangchuk appealed to the youth not to take the path of violence, adding that this nullifies his efforts for the rights of Ladakh. He said that the incident of two people being admitted to hospital sparked the widespread anger.
People of Ladakh have been demanding the inclusion of the Union Territory in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution. The Sixth Schedule of the Constitution contains Article 244(2) and 275(1), which reads, "Provisions as to the Administration of Tribal Areas in the States of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram."
There has been a demand for statehood for Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370.