Himachal civil society organisations condemn crackdown on Ladakh protesters

In a strong show of solidarity, civil society organisations from Himachal Pradesh have condemned the recent police crackdown on peaceful protesters in Ladakh and demanding urgent intervention from the Central Government.

The statement follows the tragic events of September 24, when four civilians were killed and over 50 injured during a police firing on demonstrators protesting in support of ongoing demands for constitutional rights and environmental protection in the region. The incident occurred after the health of hunger strikers deteriorated, sparking widespread public outrage and a spontaneous mass protest.

Guman Singh, convenor of Himalayan Niti Abhiyan, Joginder Walia, Chairman Sanyukt Sangharsh Samiti Kiratpur-Manali Fourlane, Advocate Deshraj, former Chairman Bar Council, Amar Singh Raghav, State Advisor of Sarvjan Sanrakshan Samiti HP, Santram State President MGNREGA and All Workers Organisation, Narender Saini, Chairman Devbhoomi Paryavaran Rakshak Manch and Bhupender Singh, District president of CITU in a joint conference expressed deep concern over what they termed as the government’s “deliberate delay tactics” and “negligent attitude” in addressing Ladakhi people's democratic and constitutional demands.

They praised climate activist Sonam Wangchuk for his continued call for non-violence and dialogue and condemned the use of NSA against him, calling it a retaliatory move.

They called for the fulfilment of four major demands by the Ladakhi people:

1. Full statehood for Ladakh
2. Inclusion under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution to protect local land, resources and environment
3. Allocation of two seats in the Lok Sabha
4. Job reservations for locals

The office bearers of these organisations emphasised the ecological fragility of the Himalayan region and warned that unregulated development—such as mega solar parks, hydropower projects, mining operations and heavy infrastructure—poses severe risks to the environment, glaciers and livelihoods of locals.

Citing the large-scale acquisition of land for power, rail and mining projects, they alleged that the government’s real intention is to enable corporate exploitation of Ladakh's rich natural resources. They also criticised the rollback of land allotted to Wangchuk’s educational institutions and the misuse of investigative agencies for political vendetta.

The civil society coalition urged the Centre to revoke NSA charges and release detained activists unconditionally, hold an impartial judicial inquiry into the police firing, initiate sincere dialogue with Ladakhi leadership, ban destructive industrial activities across the Himalayas and develop an ecologically sensitive mountain development policy.

These office bearers included leading environmentalists, legal experts and community leaders from Himachal Pradesh, representing various grassroots platforms. They warned that the ongoing disregard for Ladakh’s voice could have serious national consequences, especially in this strategically sensitive border region.