'The people who were protesting and getting violent were all in the age group of 14-25. There were only young people on the roads.'
Tensions in Ladakh peaked on Wednesday, September 24, 2025, as violent clashes resulted in the deaths of five people and injuries to dozens more in Leh.
The demonstrations, which have been intensifying over recent weeks, are part of a larger movement demanding statehood for Ladakh and its inclusion under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.
At the forefront of this struggle is Sonam Wangchuk, the renowned climate activist and co-chairman of the Apex Body of Leh, who called off his hunger strike after the violence to draw national attention to the region's demands.
The Sixth Schedule provides for the autonomy of tribal areas through elected Autonomous District Councils, granting them legislative and financial powers -- a provision Ladakhis believe is essential to protect their unique cultural and ecological identity.
Since the region was carved out as a separate Union Territory in 2019, residents have increasingly voiced concerns over lack of political representation, loss of land rights, and unchecked industrial or environmental exploitation -- all of which have fueled the growing demand for full statehood and constitutional safeguards.
"Ladakh is a sensitive area and to keep the people of this area unhappy is not good for the country," Cheering Dorjay, co-chairman of the Apex Body of Leh, tells Syed Firdaus Ashraf/Rediff.
The Ladakh protest was a peaceful movement, so why did it suddenly turn violent?
The protest was peaceful but the situation turned tense from Tuesday night after two hunger strikers were admitted to hospital because of sudden ill-health. People at that point of time started getting angry at the government because it was delaying talks to accept our demands.
On Wednesday morning, thousands of people out of nowhere turned out at the protest site where we were fasting. It was more than the unusual number as only hundreds of people used to assemble at the protest site.
There were many youngsters who turned up in large numbers and they got agitated over the demands. It became very difficult to control them.
They got out of control and started pelting stones at government offices and later burnt the BJP office. Until now, five people are confirmed dead. Another five are critically injured and many more are seriously injured in the violence.
Sonam Wangchuk has been consistently fasting over your demands for the last two years. What has been the government's decision?
The government declared the date of talks (on October 6) but then there was a time gap from the day of the hunger strike which began on September 10.
The government could have called our leaders to hold talks earlier but they did not do that.
Our demand was to start talks as soon as possible, but the government was not listening to us. This delay date in talks resulted in youngsters getting restless which led them go out of control and led to violence.
How many people were fasting along with Sonam Wangchuk?
Twenty people were fasting. There were 7-8 people who were fasting right from the first day with Sonam Wangchuk and Wednesday was the 16th day of the fast for statehood for Ladakh and Sixth Schedule for Ladakh.
If the government gave in to your demands a similar demand will be heard from the north east which could lead to more problems.
Ladakh is a different area and 97 percent of the population is tribal. The Sixth Schedule is tailor-made for Ladakh.
No state in the north east has a tribal population. You cannot compare Ladakh with other parts of India.
What about the job situation? Is it true that Ladakh has the highest number of educated unemployed youth in India as Sonam Wangchuk says?
Yes, that is right.
This violence that broke out was because of youngsters, otherwise our movement was 100 percent non-violent and peaceful.
Out of nowhere and very unexpectedly, thousands of youth landed up to protest and nobody could control the violent situation.
Why do youths not get jobs in Ladakh?
When we became a Union Territory in 2020, there has been no recruitment of local people in government jobs.
The government is the biggest employer in Ladakh as there are no industries. The anger you saw was of educated unemployed youth.
Does it mean that after Article 370 was done away with, not a single Ladakhi educated youth got a government job?
You cannot say a single Ladakhi, but very few youngsters got government jobs. Many people got part time government jobs though.
Why is it being called a GenZ protest in Ladakh?
I don't know why the term GenZ is being used for this violence, but yes, when I saw the people who were protesting and getting violent they were all in the age group of 14 to 25. There were only young people on the roads. All the older people, around 5,000 of them, were sitting peacefully at the protest site.
Did any political party or leader instigate these youngsters?
The peaceful protest was headed by us. Religious leaders were also involved. These youngsters came out of nowhere. There was a sudden outburst of anger which led to violence.
Why did they target the BJP office?
The BJP is in power, therefore they were angry at it. It is their job to fulfill our demands.
What about tourism? Is it not good enough to provide jobs?
It is seasonal jobs. Tourism is only for six months and it does not give permanent jobs.
The standard of living is good in Ladakh and yet you see this violence which makes you wonder if it is all just a show as there must be poverty which nobody is seeing.
We are still good in terms of standard of living compared to other parts of India.
This violence was because of uneducated frustrated youth who resorted to violence.
Unemployment is a big problem. Even in developed countries when people do not get jobs people come out on the roads and protest.
Ladakh was never a state but part of Jammu and Kashmir. So how can you expect to be made a state?
We were part of a state (and today) we do not have any legislature. Ethnically, we are different from the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
We have a 60,000 square kilometre area which is huge and therefore we deserve our own assembly and to make our own laws.
Ladakh borders China and what happened on Wednesday is not good for the country, isn't it?
This is what the Government of India needs to understand.
Ladakh is a sensitive area and to keep the people of this area unhappy is not good for the country.
Pakistan and China have big border lines with us. Both of them have tried to attack India and therefore it is unwise to keep the people of Ladakh unhappy.
It is not good for the country. The government must act accordingly.
Sonam Wangchuk went on a padyatra to Delhi. What was the outcome, was it zero?
You cannot say that way. There was some agreement on domicile laws concerning employment in government.
That part has been solved now, but it will take time to conduct exams.