Days after declaring normalcy, Ladakh administration reimposes restrictions

Srinagar: Two days after declaring normalcy in the region, Ladakh UT administration late Friday reimposed restrictions on gatherings of five or more people, and banned processions, rallies, and marches without prior permission in Leh, hours after Union ministry of home affairs (MHA) announced a judicial probe — under a retired Supreme Court judge — into the September 24 police firing that left four protesters dead and around 90 injured in Leh.An order issued by Leh district magistrate Romil Singh Donk stated that the decision to enforce restrictions was taken based on a report from the SSP, warning of a possible disturbance of peace and a potential threat to law and order in the UT. The order prohibited the use of loudspeakers (including vehicle-mounted ones) under BNS Section 163 without approval from the competent authority. It also warned citizens to refrain from making statements likely to incite disorder.Earlier on Friday, an MHA statement announced the appointment of retired SC judge, Dr Justice B S Chauhan, to head the judicial inquiry. The ministry also reached out to two political groups in Ladakh — Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) — stating that “govt has always been open for dialogues at any time”. MHA said it would welcome discussions with both bodies through the high-powered committee on Ladakh or any such platform.

“We are confident the continuous dialogue would yield the desired result in the near future,” the statement said, adding that govt was “committed to the aspirations” of the people of Ladakh.“Whenever govt invites us for the talks, we will readily join,” LAB co-chairman Chering Dorjay said. On Thursday, LAB and KDA had announced a silent march on Oct 18 (Saturday) to show solidarity with those killed, injured, and arrested during the Sept 24 firing.Following the ministry’s outreach — which came after weeks of unrest and tension in the region — UT chief secretary Dr Pawan Kotwal urged both political groups to call off Saturday’s peace march. He called the Sept 24 skirmish “unfortunate”, adding that authorities had worked hard to restore normalcy.“The incident claimed four lives. Around 90 people were injured, including 72 seriously. Doctors provided immediate treatment and several injured underwent complex surgeries that helped in saving 11 critically wounded individuals.

Five people are still recovering from bone fractures, four are expected to be discharged from the hospital within two weeks, while one, a former serviceman, will take a time to recover,” Kotwal said.

“With great effort, we first restored internet services, then reopened markets, and lifted all restrictions on Oct 15. At this stage, we do not want any large gatherings or crowds that could go out of control,” the chief secretary added.KDA leader Sajjad Kargili slammed the reimposition of restrictions. “This is nothing but colonial style treatment with the people of Ladakh — the proof of how the UT experiment has failed in Ladakh,” he said.On Sept 24, police and paramilitary forces had allegedly opened fire on agitators demanding Sixth Schedule status and statehood for Ladakh after demonstrations turned violent in Leh. Following the violence, Leh authorities imposed curfew-like restrictions, suspended mobile internet, and arrested over 70 people, including activist Sonam Wangchuk.

On Oct 15, govt restored internet access, lifted restrictions, and announced the return of normalcy in the region.Earlier on Sept 20, MHA had announced Oct 6 as the date for talks. However, after the Sept 24 violence, both LAB and KDA withdrew from the dialogue, demanding a judicial probe led by a retired SC judge and the release of all detainees, including Wangchuk.