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On September 24, protesters in Leh demanding Ladakh statehood and Sixth Schedule inclusion clashed with police, leaving four dead and 50 injured. Led by the Leh Apex Body, demonstrators set fire to the local BJP office. Activist Sonam Wangchuk, who joined the hunger strike with 500 supporters, called for peace while describing the uprising as a Gen Z revolution. Watch the full video to learn more.

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#Ladakh #Protests #Leh #Violence #Statehood #SixthSchedule #Police #Clashes #SonamWangchuk

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00:00Why are Ladakhí youth taking to the streets?
00:03In Leh, the capital of Ladakh's Union Territory, young men and women are protesting on the
00:08streets, their frustration spilling into violence.
00:15With their demands for statehood and inclusion of the region in the sixth schedule of Indian
00:20constitution, the protesters clashed with the police on September 24th, 2025.
00:26Police resorted to firing after protesters set fire to the BJP office and several vehicles
00:31including CRPF van.
00:33At least 4 people were killed and over 50 injured in the intense clashes during the Le Apex body-sponsored
00:38shutdown.
00:39Activist Sonam Bangchuk, who is part of the strike, called the violence nonsensical in
00:45a next video, asking the youth not to follow the path of violence.
00:48However, he dubbed it a Gen Z revolution and noted that many were left unemployed without
01:05their democratic rights for years in Ladakh.
01:08Authorities promulgated prohibitory orders under Section 163 of Bhartiya Nagarik Suraksha
01:14Sanghita in Leh district, banning assembly of five or more persons.
01:18The Le Apex body, or LAB, leading the charge has been on a hunger strike since September 10th,
01:26demanding urgent talks with the central government.
01:29But why are they protesting?
01:31The abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, which gave Jammu and Kashmir special status, changed
01:38Ladakh forever.
01:39It became a union territory, stripped of land ownership protections that kept non-locals
01:44out.
01:45Now, outsiders can buy land, raising fears of demographic shifts that could dilute the tribal
01:51majority and strain the cold desert's scarce resources.
01:55Unlike JNK, which got an elected assembly, Ladakh is ruled by Delhi, leaving locals' power
02:01less.
02:02LAB and the Cargill Democratic Alliance are pushing for four demands.
02:07Statehood for Self-Governance, the sixth schedule to protect tribal autonomy over land and customs,
02:13a public service commission to tackle 26.5% graduate unemployment, twice India's average,
02:19two parliamentary seats, not one for a louder voice in Delhi.
02:23So what is the sixth schedule?
02:25It grants tribal areas like those in Assam or Meghalaya control over land, customs and
02:31resources through autonomous district councils.
02:34Ladakh's councils currently handle only district-level planning.
02:38The Ministry of Home Affairs has offered talks on jobs and seats but not statehood or sixth
02:44schedule, fueling the anger.
02:47Protests have simmered since 2019 but intensified in 2024.
02:51On Monday, September 22, LAB demanded immediate talks.
02:55However, the Ministry of Home Affairs set the date for October 6, too late for LAB, who called
03:01it a dictation.
03:02The youth-led shutdown on Wednesday spiralled into violence.
03:04Ladakh's youth, hit hard by unemployment, feel ignored.
03:08A government survey shows 26.5% of graduates are jobless, only second to Andaman and Nicobar.
03:15KDA leader Sajad Kargilii, reacting to the violence on X, called it unfortunate and urged the government
03:21to resume dialogue and grant statehood and sixth-scheduled status.
03:26The unrest reflects a broader demand to protect Ladakh's culture and economy.
03:31Wangchuk had also warned that unfulfilled promises like including Ladakh in the sixth schedule
03:37before local elections could cost the government support.
03:40Ladakh's youth are currently fighting for their land, jobs and voice.
03:45But the question remains, will the government act before tensions boil over again?
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