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Leh : The Wednesday’s protests in Leh have drawn attention after violence broke out even as talks with the Union government were already scheduled. Sources said the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had fixed October 6 for the next meeting of the High Powered Committee (HPC) to discuss demands raised by the Apex Body of Leh (ABL) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA).
The sources said the Center had also accepted new members proposed by ABL for inclusion in the committee. Following requests from local groups, the government was considering advancing the meeting to September 25 or 26. On an earlier occasion, talks had been proposed for July 25 but did not go ahead after failing to secure a positive response.
Despite this, protests in Leh turned violent. According to security agencies, the pattern of stone pelting and arson suggested that the unrest was not spontaneous. “With talks already lined up, the timing of the violence raises serious questions,” one source said.
Attention has also turned toward activist Sonam Wangchuk. Multiple sources said Wangchuk has in the past spoken about youth-led protests in Nepal and drawn parallels with the Arab Spring. These references, they suggested, “now look like a framework” for mobilization in Ladakh. Some sources also hinted that ongoing scrutiny of his projects may have provided an incentive to escalate street action.
Congress leaders too are under the scanner. According to political circles, several of their statements in recent days included calls for shutdowns, strikes, and street mobilization. “The way events played out makes it look less like a local outburst and more like a planned effort,” another source said.
At the same time, officials stressed that Ladakh’s youth should not be blamed. They were described as having been misled and drawn into a “larger design of political and personal ambition.”
The Union government, sources said, remains committed to dialogue. The October 6 HPC meeting is expected to proceed as planned, with assurances that Ladakh’s welfare and youth empowerment remain central to the discussions.
