What sparked the Gen Z protests in Leh, Ladakh? Here’s what you need to know as the government and Sonam Wangchuk exchange statements
Activist Sonam Wangchuk said the protests were part of a build-up of anger over the denial of statehood and local government since Ladakh was made a Union Territory in 2019.
Violence broke out in Leh, Ladakh, on Wednesday as a protest that had been going on for more than a week turned into a confrontation with security forces.
Activist Sonam Wangchuk said the protests were part of a build-up of anger over the denial of statehood and local government since Ladakh was made a Union Territory in 2019.
Gen Z protests Ladakh over the last two weeks leading up to Wednesday had been largely peaceful. Wangchuk, a climate activist, had been at the forefront of the protests through a hunger strike. In a statement condemning the violence, he said it was “an outburst of the young generation that brought them onto the streets.”
“This was a Gen Z revolution,” Wangchuk said on Wednesday when he broke his hunger strike. government vs Gen Z protests, on the other hand, blamed Sonam Wangchuk for “misleading the public through provocative references to Arab Spring-style protests and the Gen Z demonstrations in Nepal.”
Why are people protesting in Ladakh?
Ladakh was made a separate Union Territory( UT) in 2019, after the cancellation of Composition 370 and the splitting up of the former state of Jammu and Kashmir. The new UT of Ladakh, unlike Jammu and Kashmir, does n't have its own legislative assembly.
The UT status was initially received well by many in Ladakh, including Sonam Wangchuk Ladakh. Within months, criticism was raised at what was felt to be a political vacuum under the Lieutenant Governor who was placed in charge of the administration.
Meetings with the Union Government
A high-level committee was put together by the government to examine Ladakh’s demands, but so far, no breakthroughs have been announced.
What happened on September 24?
Leh Ladakh protest 2025 for statehood turned violent with arson attacks and street battles. Four people have died and at least 59 have been injured, including 22 police officers.
Groups of youths set fire to the BJP headquarters in Leh and the Hill Council, targeting important structures. Vehicles were set on fire in different corridor of the megacity as protestors rampaged through the thoroughfares.
