Curfew in Leh relaxed after 3 days

Kargil, Sep 27: Authorities on Saturday announced the relaxation of the curfew in Leh in a phased manner from 1 pm to 3 pm, as the situation showed signs of improvement after three days of restrictions.

Restrictions under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) remained in place while mobile internet services stayed suspended in Leh following recent violence during protests demanding statehood and Sixth Schedule extension for Ladakh.

For the first time since curfew was imposed, the restrictions were eased Saturday afternoon in a phased manner, providing relief to residents who lined up outside shops selling essentials.

Police and paramilitary forces had intensified patrolling since early morning to maintain order after climate activist Sonam Wangchuk was arrested under the National Security Act (NSA) on Friday.

Officials said no untoward incident was reported during the relaxation.

“To ensure access to essentials, the District Magistrate, Leh, has allowed limited opening of grocery and vegetable shops. In Leh town, Upper Leh, Tiyararong, Skalzangling, old municipal committee limits, and sub-division headquarters, shops opened from 1 pm to 3 pm. In peripheral areas, including Choglamsar, Phyang, Spituk, and nearby villages, timings were fixed from 3 pm to 5:30 pm. Police and magistrates monitored vehicular movement during these hours,” they said.

The curfew was clamped on Wednesday evening after widespread violence left four persons dead and 90 others injured when the protesters set a local Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) office on fire and allegedly pelted stones at Police and CRPF personnel.

Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, Kavinder Gupta, chaired a high-level security review meeting to assess the prevailing law and order and overall security scenario in Ladakh.

The meeting was attended by Chief Secretary Pawan Kotwal, Director General of Police S D Singh Jamwal, and senior officers of the Army and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP).

The officers presented a detailed briefing on current deployments, emerging challenges, and strategies aimed at ensuring public safety, peace, and a coordinated response to evolving situations.

Speaking at the meeting, the LG of Ladakh stressed the importance of maintaining strict law and order while keeping a constant watch on the security environment.

He highlighted the need for seamless coordination among civil and security agencies, timely intelligence sharing, and proactive measures to counter any threat to peace and stability.

Gupta commended the people of Leh for displaying restraint and maturity during the relaxation amid today’s restrictions, thereby upholding harmony in the region.

He directed the administration and security agencies to ensure law and order at all costs, while simultaneously protecting the rights and welfare of the citizens.

Reaffirming the unwavering commitment of the Government of India and the J&K administration, the LG Ladakh said that every step would be taken to protect the security, stability, and overall welfare of the people of Ladakh.

He underscored that maintaining law and order was not only vital for peace but also essential for the region’s development and progress.

The LG urged people to remain vigilant against anti-social and anti-national elements attempting to disturb harmony.

He appealed for continued public cooperation with the administration to preserve peace, stability, and normalcy in Ladakh.

The meeting concluded with clear directions to adopt a proactive, coordinated, and people-centric approach to effectively address the law and order and security challenges of J&K.

Director General of Police (DGP), Ladakh, S D Singh Jamwal, said the security forces were compelled to open fire at the protesters, else the entire Leh would have been burned to the ground.

He said that the violence that took place in Leh on Wednesday was without precedent and blamed “vested interests” and climate activist Sonam Wangchuk for it.

Jamwal dismissed the allegation by the Apex Body Leh (ABL) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), the bodies which have been spearheading the agitation, that forces fired indiscriminately, saying that it was done only in self-defence and to prevent a larger flare-up.

“If you look at the footage and the conditions in which our forces performed, they did a highly commendable job. I salute them for bringing the situation under control by 4 pm after the violence started around noon,” the DGP said.

He said about 70 to 80 Police and CRPF personnel were also injured in the confrontation.

“Do you want the security forces to die? That is not possible. Everyone has a life. When they attacked a political party’s office and set it on fire, four women constables of the Ladakh Police were inside. We rescued them with great difficulty. The CRPF personnel posted there were severely thrashed, and one of them is still admitted at an Army Hospital with spinal injury,” he said.

The DGP Ladakh said that the secretariat, where most of the offices were located, was attacked.

An officer, who sustained minor wounds, said, “Do you want the employees to burn to death? You don’t want that. The violence was aimed at creating anarchy, and countering anarchy was our main task.”

The DGP Ladakh defended the deployment of CRPF in advance, saying there was intelligence that some elements, including Wangchuk, were trying to disturb the peace.

“If the CRPF had not been there that day, I am telling you with full confidence that the entire town would have been burned down. We do not want a force here. We want peace. But peace will only come when people understand their responsibilities,” he said.

According to the Ladakh Police chief, around 6000 people went on a rampage on Wednesday.

“I am posted for the second time here. I know the psyche of the people of Ladakh. I believe that the people of Ladakh have always supported the Police and administration. Everyone I met is ashamed of this. No one anticipated this type of violence.”

He also recounted casualties among the force members, saying that this year, in three different incidents, two police constables and one inspector died in the line of duty.

“Last month, when there were floods and landslides, our force worked day and night. Before that, in March, 200 to 300 vehicles were stuck on the Changla Pass in the snow. We spent an entire night pulling people to safety,” the DGP Ladakh said.

Seeking the support of the youth in maintaining peace in Ladakh, he said 1800 government jobs had been advertised for recruitment, while a Police recruitment drive was also planned.

“A passing out parade of some 500 police recruits was scheduled to take place the previous day but had to be postponed,” Jamwal said.  “We are with you and want you to join the Police force.”

He said Wangchuk was being probed for alleged links with Pakistan after last month’s arrest of a Pakistani intelligence operative who sent videos of Wangchuk-led protests across the border.

Jamwal described Wangchuk as the key instigator of Wednesday’s violence.

“What has been found in the investigation cannot be disclosed now. His speeches, citing the Arab Spring and Gen-Z protests in Nepal, and protests in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, instigated violence. There is also a probe into foreign funding and FCRA violations. He attended an event by The Dawn in Pakistan and also visited Bangladesh,” he said.

On Friday, Wangchuk was detained under the NSA and sent to a jail in Jodhpur, Rajasthan.

Jamwal said that despite knowing an informal meeting with the Centre was scheduled for September 25, Wangchuk continued his hunger strike and released provocative videos, culminating in violence.

Jamwal confirmed that 50 people had been taken into custody, including suspected ringleaders.

He said three Nepalese citizens with bullet injuries were admitted to the hospital.

Wangchuk’s arrest comes as a strange turn of events, considering that on August 5, 2019, he tweeted, “THANK YOU PRIME MINISTER Ladakh Thanks @narendramodi @PMOIndia for fulfilling Ladakh’s longstanding dream. It was exactly 30 years ago, in August 1989 that that Ladakhi leaders launched a movement for UT Status. Thank you to all who helped in this democratic decentralisation.”