The Kargil Development Association and Leh Apex Body (LAB), the two organisations on forefront of protests, have strongly refuted claims that the situation in Ladakh has returned to normal, stating that internet services remain suspended and instances of harassment continue to be reported from various areas.
Senior leader Sajjad Kargili said that portraying a false sense of normalcy is misleading and unfair to the people of Ladakh who are still facing restrictions and administrative pressure.“The claim that everything is normal in Ladakh is not correct. Internet services are still down, and people continue to face undue harassment,” Kargali said while addressing media persons.
The KDA and Leh Apex Body has warned the Union Territory administration against exerting undue pressure on citizens and urged the government to restore communication facilities and address the grievances of the local population at the earliest.Ladakh Lieutenant-Governor Kavinder Gupta on Monday chaired a high-level meeting with officials of the administration and security forces to assess the situation in the region. In a statement, the LG said that the UT remains peaceful, with schools, offices, and markets having reopened. He also urged officials to remain “vigilant and focus on peace and development”.
Talks scheduled between the MHA and Ladakh groups as part of the Centre’s High-Powered Committee were meanwhile cancelled as both the Apex Body Leh (ABL) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) pulled out.As for the situation in region, Ladakh remained peaceful on Monday with schools, offices and markets functioning as usual although mobile internet remained suspended. Prohibitory orders continued as Apex Body Leh rejected the normalcy claims of the administration.
The courts have bailed out 11 more detainees who were arrested in connection with the September 24 protests in which four people were killed and over 80 others injured. The bail hearing of 12 more detainees is scheduled for Tuesday. The ABL has rejected the ‘magisterial inquiry’ ordered by the government and demanded a judicial probe into the killings of the four people and also demanded the release of all detainees, including climate activist Sonam Wangchuk in order to restore trust and confidence of the people of Ladakh.
“Normalcy cannot return through intimidation…. What appears normal on the surface is just an illusion. Why is internet still suspended? Why are restrictions still imposed?” ABL co-chairman Chering Dorjay said. He alleged that the administration was harassing and questioning village heads. “People are being detained. This is an attack on our culture. This action will have adverse repercussions and further erode the trust and confidence of the people of Ladakh,” said Dorjay.
Advocate Muhammad Shafi of the Leh Bar Association said the court has given bail to 11 more detainees and the bail hearing of 12 more detainees is slotted for Tuesday. “We believe in our justice system and will fight for our people till the end,” Shafi said. As of now, around 40 people have been released on bail and over 30 are still in custody.
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