REBUILD BRIDGES ACROSS THE LADAKH FAULT

Ladakh's disquiet reflects erosion of faith between Delhi and the mountains. Centre's mishandling of aspirations threatens democratic legitimacy and the fragile balance of ecology, identity and governance

- RADHA KUMAR

LIKE most others, I was astonished to see arson, tear gas and police firing in Leh on September 24. That this most peaceful of Indian regions should be pushed to violence, even if only for the most fleeting of moments, was baffling. The response of the Ladakh administration and mainstream media was even more baffling.

Over 70 protesters arrested, noted environmentalist Sonam Wangchuk charged with threatening national security, curfew what was going on? How or why a peaceful demonstration turned violent will be probed by a judicial enquiry. However, a cursory view of the footage suggests a handful of young men broke away from the demonstration to set fire to the Leh BJP office and a police vehicle, and the police fired upon demonstrators, killing four, including a retired trooper, and injuring 80. Ladakh's director-general of police justified the police firing, saying that if they had not, the entire city of Leh would have "burned to the ground". Since when did setting an office and a vehicle on fire become burning an entire city? Why were 70-plus people arrested when the footage showed only four or five arsonists? How can the non-violent Wangchuk, who was on hunger strike, be accused of endangering national security on the farcical ground of attending a UN conference in Pakistan at which he praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi? Indications are that the Union Home Ministry recognises the disproportionate nature of the administration's response, though it has not yet released Wangchuk or the 30 others who remain in custody. Calm prevails in Ladakh, the curfew has been lifted, and a fresh round of talks between the Union Home Ministry, the Leh Apex Body of the People's Movement for the Sixth Schedule (LAB) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) took place on October 22.