The Long Road From Celebration To Contention: Ladakh's Unfinished Story

On August 27, 1989, Nawang Rinchen, Tsering Stobdan, and Tsewang Dorjay were killed at the Polo Ground in Leh while protesting for union territory status for Ladakh.

On August 5, 2019, Ladakh celebrated as it appeared that the sacrifice of August 1989 had not been in vain. Ladakh, declared a union territory by union home minister Amit Shah, was finally out of the shadow of Srinagar.

However, the celebration was short-lived. On September 24, 2025, four more Ladakhis lost their lives at the same spot, now called Martyrs Memorial Park. The deceased were identified as 46-year-old Tsewang Tharchin, 25-year-old Jigmet Dorjay, 23-year-old Stanzin Namgyal, and 20-year-old Rinchen Dadul. Tharchin was reportedly a retired soldier from the Ladakh Scouts.

The Centre has squarely blamed Sonam Wangchuk, one of the most famous Ladakhis (especially after his school became the inspiration for Aamir Khan’s Phunsuk Wangdu in 3 Idiots). He has been arrested and the FCRA license of his organisation has been cancelled. The CBI is conducting a preliminary inquiry into the financial dealings of his organisation, and there is a high possibility that the NIA could examine a UAPA charge against Wangchuk.

So was this a premeditated conspiracy?

Ladakh MP Hanifa Jaan blames the Centre’s inability to read the mood on the ground. “The date for the next meeting (October 6) was just too far. People on hunger strike were falling ill. Seeing them get hospitalised broke the wall of patience of the youngsters,” Jaan says about the violence.

But the Intelligence Bureau’s report to the MHA has detailed the impact of Nepal’s protests on the Leh protesters. The MHA has made it abundantly clear that Wangchuk’s alleged references to such protests and Arab Springs provoked the demonstrators. Following the protest, the violence, damage to public property, and other serious charges, Wangchuk has been arrested.

His alleged maximalist position on Schedule 6 and statehood is also seen by the Centre as an impediment in talks.

Steps so far

After the initial euphoria over UT status, both Leh and Kargil started demanding statehood and protection under the 6th Schedule. The Covid-19 pandemic gave some breathing space to the Centre to respond to these aspirations, but from 2023 onwards, the demand gained steam.

In 2023, the union home ministry formed a high-powered committee MoS Nityanand Rai to discuss ways to protect Ladakh’s unique culture and language. The MHA was aware of the location and strategic importance of Ladakh and was willing to listen.

However, it seemed too little for the UT bordering China. In February 2024, thousands gathered to protest in Delhi, Leh, and other parts of Ladakh, demanding statehood and safeguards under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.

The agitation intensified on March 6, with Leh observing a complete shutdown followed by a 66-day hunger strike.

The Centre reached out again when, in June this year, it notified reservations up to 85% and a 15-year residency requirement for domicile status.

Fresh talks

On September 27, the MHA could meet the Ladakh representatives again. October 6 is the designated date for further talks on issues of greater administrative autonomy.

Indications from the Centre suggest it is open to taking all steps to secure the culture, language, and rights of the Ladakhi people. The Centre’s position on Schedule 6 currently is that it is meant for the North-Eastern part of the country. Statehood has been promised to Jammu and Kashmir, and until that is implemented, Ladakh will have to wait.

Any unrest in strategically important Ladakh will have wider ramifications for India’s national security. The onus then is on both Delhi and Kargil-Leh to ensure that September 24 becomes an aberration and not a pattern in the quest for more autonomy for Ladakh.