Ladakh leaders issue one-month ultimatum to Centre on cases, compensation

Leh, Sep 25: Leh Apex Body functionaries Sonam Wangchuk and Chering Dorjay Lakrook on Thursday issued a one-month deadline to the Union government, demanding withdrawal of criminal cases against around 80 protesters, compensation for families of four people killed in police firing last year, and relief for those seriously wounded. They warned of a fresh movement in Ladakh if these demands are not met.

Speaking in Leh, Wangchuk said the people of Ladakh remain deeply hurt by the deaths of four unarmed civilians during the September 24 agitation last year. “We hope the government will review what happened and provide compensation to the families of those killed, and withdraw all cases against those who were arrested and jailed,” he said.

Wangchuk said the government has about one month to address these issues. “If it fails to do so, we will be compelled to launch another movement in Ladakh,” he added. He stressed that Ladakh “should be governed with trust and respect, not fear.”

Lakrook condemned the recent police action against protesters at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi over the NEET paper leak, but asserted that the crackdown in Leh was far harsher. He alleged that the response from the media, political parties, and the general public to the use of force in Ladakh was far weaker. “Every citizen deserves the same concern and justice, whether they live in Ladakh or elsewhere in India,” he said.

Lakrook noted that the Leh Apex Body and the Kargil Democratic Alliance have been pursuing a four-point agenda for years, but talks with the Centre have yielded little progress. “There has been some progress, but there is still no decision on our core demands,” he said. He described Ladakh as a strategically sensitive region whose concerns should not be pushed to the back burner.

The protests last year were part of a sustained agitation demanding Sixth Schedule status and statehood for Ladakh. On September 24, police firing led to the deaths of four civilians. Authorities subsequently imposed curfew-like restrictions, suspended mobile internet services, and arrested more than 70 people, including Wangchuk, who was accused of inciting protesters. Wangchuk was detained under the National Security Act in Jodhpur jail until the Centre revoked his detention in March.

Talks between the Ladakh delegations and the Centre resumed after his release. Wangchuk described a May 22 meeting with the government as positive after it agreed to discuss Article 371-like protections for Ladakh. However, the core demands of the agitators have not yet been met, prompting the latest ultimatum.

There was no immediate official response from the Union government to the one-month deadline.