6 people killed, 109 injured, including about 60 policemen, in clashes between angry protesters and police
Mohammad Abrar, Daily Dawn, Dawn TV report
Ladakh: Years of tension in India’s Himalayan region of Ladakh intensified on Wednesday as protests demanding autonomy and statehood turned violent.
Protesters set a police vehicle and the offices of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party on fire, with police using tear gas and batons to disperse the crowd.
Curfew has been imposed in the region of Ladakh, Indian-administered Kashmir, after violent protests, while police have arrested 105 people.
According to the Hindustan Times newspaper, the government has accused social activist Sonam Wangchuk of creating unrest due to her provocative statements while inciting the public for ‘political purposes’.
On Wednesday, hundreds of protesters took to the streets in Leh, the main city of Ladakh, to restore statehood and protect the constitution.
During this time, six people were killed and 109 were injured in clashes between angry protesters and the police, including about 60 police personnel.
For the past two weeks, environmental activist Sonam Wangchuk has been on a hunger strike to demand statehood for Ladakh and its inclusion in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.
Ladakh, which has a population of about 300,000, is a high-mountainous desert region located near the borders of China and Pakistan.
About half of its residents are Muslims, and 40 percent are Buddhists.
The region is classified as a ‘Union Territory’, meaning that legislators are elected to the national parliament, but it is directly governed by New Delhi.
The protest was held in solidarity with prominent activist Sonam Wangchuck, who has been on a hunger strike for two weeks.
Wangchuck is demanding either full statehood for Ladakh or constitutional protections for its tribal areas, land and sensitive environment.
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