Ladakh leaders announce silent march, blackout amid stalled talks with Centre

Ladakh leaders have announced plans for a two-hour peaceful silent march followed by an evening blackout in the Union Territory, as talks with the Central government remain stalled over fresh demands raised by two key Ladakh groups. The demands follow the violent unrest on September 24, when security forces firing killed four people and injured nearly 100 others.

At a press conference held in Leh on Tuesday, representatives of the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) — the two groups leading the ongoing movement — issued a stern warning to the authorities. They urged the government to meet their demands or risk the silent protest turning into a powerful storm.

The violence erupted on September 24 during protests triggered by a hunger strike led by climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, who had been fasting for 35 days demanding constitutional safeguards for Ladakh.

Following the incident, dialogue between Delhi and Ladakh leaders hit an impasse after the groups presented several fresh demands, including a judicial probe into the killings.

KDA leader Asgar Ali Karbalai said that after a meeting of the core committee of both groups, it was decided that a peaceful silent march will soon take place across Ladakh for two hours, followed by a blackout from 6 pm to 9 pm on the same evening.

“Through this, we want to convey that Ladakh is still in darkness. There is still terror, and the atmosphere of fear continues to prevail,” Karbalai said, adding that the date of the protest will be announced soon.

Issuing a “final request” to the Ladakh administration and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Karbalai said, “Before this silence turns into a storm, the conditions announced by the LAB and KDA — including a judicial inquiry, compensation for victims, release of all detainees including Sonam Wangchuk, and resumption of talks on statehood and Sixth Schedule status — must be fulfilled.”

Sonam Wangchuk, who has been detained under the National Security Act (NSA), is currently lodged in a jail in Rajasthan.

The leaders said they have received assurances of a judicial probe from the Union government, but no concrete steps have been taken yet. At the press conference, they also accused the UT administration of ongoing harassment of the local populace.

Ladakh MP Mohmad Haneefa Jan also appealed to the Union Home Ministry to address the groups’ demands so that dialogue can resume.

Cong councillor among seven granted bail

Seven individuals arrested in connection with the September 24 violence in Leh were granted bail on Tuesday, Leh Bar Association President Mohd Shafi Lassu said. Among those released is Congress councillor Stanzin Tsepag

Tsepag had been at the center of controversy after a photo of a masked man holding a stick went viral on social media following the violence. The BJP alleged that the individual in the image was Tsepag - a claim he has strongly denied

According to Lassu, a total of 49 people have been granted bail so far, out of over 70 arrested by the Ladakh Police in the aftermath of the incident.