On Saturday, October 18, 2025, the Ladakh administration implemented stringent measures, deploying barricades and imposing restrictions that effectively blocked the Leh Apex Body’s (LAB) planned ‘peaceful march’. This march was intended to honor those who died during the September 24 protests. Meanwhile, despite these restrictions, hundreds of residents in Kargil took to the streets in protest, defying Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita.
Chering Dorjay Lakruk, president of the Ladakh Buddhist Association and co-chairperson of the Ladakh Apex Body, condemned the administration’s actions. “Barricades were erected early this morning on one side of my residence, with police deployed on the other. The Leh administration’s decision to impose these restrictions is both illegal and unfortunate,” he stated.
The administration’s move came after the Ladakh Apex Body, which is spearheading the campaign for Statehood and inclusion in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, had called for a ‘peaceful march’ and an evening blackout in Leh. These actions were planned to express solidarity with the four locals killed in the September 24 violence in Leh. On Friday evening, the Ladakh administration had announced the re-imposition of prohibitory restrictions under Section 163, banning gatherings of more than four people, citing ‘reports of potential threats to public peace and order in the area’.
“We had organized a peaceful march, but it was not permitted. However, members of the Ladakh Apex Body managed a symbolic march from Leh to the Shanti Stupa. No other locals could join due to the imposed restrictions,” Mr. Lakruk explained.
The Ladakh Apex Body also voiced concerns regarding the Judicial Commission established by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), headed by former Supreme Court Justice (retd.) B. S. Chauhan.
“While we welcome the judicial inquiry, we are concerned that First Information Report number 144, referenced in the inquiry, might target the protesters. Furthermore, the absence of any member from Ladakh in the Judicial Commission diminishes public confidence in its fairness and transparency. We believe Ladakhi representation is crucial for a just inquiry,” the Ladakh Apex Body leader asserted.
Mr. Lakruk affirmed that the Ladakh Apex Body remains open to ‘meaningful talks’ with the Centre concerning their demands for Statehood and inclusion in the Sixth Schedule.
Kargil’s Defiant March
Concurrently, in Kargil town and surrounding areas like Drass, Sankoo, Tai Suru, Shargole, and Zanskar, hundreds of locals and members of the Kargil Democratic Alliance (an umbrella group of religious and political organizations) conducted a peaceful ‘silent march’. Protesters were seen carrying placards, wearing black armbands, and masking their mouths with black cloth to symbolize their silenced voices.
“We have been rendered voiceless, and democracy is being denied. We will continue to advocate for Statehood and the Sixth Schedule, and we will never forget the brutal attack in Leh and the arrests of activists, including Sonam Wangchuk,” declared Sajjad Kargili, a member of the Kargil Democratic Alliance.
Mr. Kargili demanded a swift, time-bound judicial inquiry into the September 24 incident, along with compensation for those who died and were injured. “We also demand the immediate release of all detainees, including Mr. Wangchuk,” he added.
Ladakh witnessed intense street protests on September 24, driven by demands for Statehood and inclusion in the Sixth Schedule. Following the violence that resulted in four civilian deaths, activists, including Sonam Wangchuk – who had been on a hunger strike since September 10 – were detained on September 26. Since Ladakh was designated a Union Territory in 2019, local bodies have consistently demanded full Statehood, inclusion in the Sixth Schedule, an additional Lok Sabha seat, and the establishment of a Public Service Commission.