Ladakh activist Sonam Wangchuk on Thursday announced ending 15-day hunger strike in Leh soon after violent protests broke out over statehood demand for Ladakh. Amid clashes he also appealed youth to shun violence and maintain peace.
During the day amid massive demonstrations,soon after the protest broke out, Wangchuk called for peace and urged people to stop the violence, saying that it damages the cause.A massive protest broke out in Leh as protestors and pelted stones and clashed with the police, who in turn fired teargas shells and resorted to baton charge to control the crowd.Hundreds of protesters took to the streets, with several vehicles set ablaze and the local BJP office attacked and torched. Flames and thick black smoke could be seen rising over parts of the city amid a complete shutdown.
The Ladakh Apex Body (LAB) youth wing had called for the protest after two of the 15 people, who were on a 35-day hunger strike since September 10, were shifted to a hospital after their condition deteriorated on Tuesday evening.Flames and dark smoke clouds were seen rising amid a complete shutdown in the Ladakh capital. The authorities have imposed prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the BNSS to ban the assembly of five or more people, officials said.
Speaking after the protest in a briefing, Wangchuk , who is also a climate activist, said that a meeting with the Centre over the statehood demand should happen before the proposed date of October 6."I request the youth of Ladakh to stop the violence forthwith as it only causes harm to our cause and further deteriorates the situation. We do not want instability in Ladakh and the country.... We do not want instability in Ladakh and the country," Wangchuk told a large gathering of supporters. Tear gas shells were heard in the background during his appeal.
He also released a video message on X, urging calm. “My message of peaceful path failed today. I appeal to youth to please stop this nonsense. This only damages our cause," he wrote.“People are angered. After keeping people hungry for 16 days, meeting was called. People are demanding the meeting to happen well before October 6,” he added.The hunger strike was held in support of the demand to advance the proposed talks with the Centre on extension of Sixth Schedule as well as statehood to Ladakh.
The Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, meant for the tribal population of the northeast states of Tripura, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Assam, makes special provisions in terms of governance, powers of president and the governor, type of local bodies, alternate judicial mechanisms and financial powers exercised through autonomous councils.
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