LEH (Kashmir English): The situation in Ladakh region of Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir remains tense as curfew-like restrictions continue to prevail in Leh and Kargil districts following the September 24 civilian killings.
Mobile internet remains suspended, while heavy troop deployment and detentions creating a climate of fear across the region.
According to Kashmir Media Service, amid growing anger and calls for justice, the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) and Leh Apex Body (LAB) have jointly rejected the magisterial probe announced by the Ladakh administration, demanding instead a judicial inquiry into the killings.
The two alliances have also suspended their proposed talks with the Indian Home Ministry scheduled for October 6 (today) until a judicial probe is ordered and all detainees, including climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, are released.
Addressing media in New Delhi, senior KDA leader Sajjad Kargili said that a magisterial inquiry was insufficient and lacked the authority to hold the local administration accountable.
“We have made it clear to the MHA — a judicial probe should be ordered at least. A magistrate does not have the power to hold the administration accountable. We want an impartial judicial enquiry,” Kargili stated.
He said the local setup in Ladakh had failed, citing the administration’s lack of transparency and accountability.
“The people of Ladakh are facing the same treatment that the people of Kashmir have endured for years, and what Manipur is suffering from today. This should not have happened in Ladakh,” he added.
Kargili further said the continued labelling and vilification of Ladakhis had deepened the “sense of betrayal” among the people.
KDA, Leh Apex Body to announce future course of action
He vowed that the KDA and LAB would soon hold consultations to decide the next course of action for their ongoing movement.
At the event where a “fact-finding report” on Ladakh was released, former bureaucrat Wajahat Habibullah, activist Radha Kumar, and Samajwadi Party MP Iqra Chowdhury also endorsed the Ladakh groups’ demands for statehood and Sixth Schedule safeguards.
Habibullah described the loss of civilian lives as “shameful” and urged the Indian government to engage in meaningful dialogue, warning that ignoring people’s voices could have grave consequences.
The report, compiled by civil society organizations, said the revocation of Article 370 had exposed Ladakh’s fragile ecosystem and tribal culture to exploitation by outside commercial interests.
It called the Sixth Schedule status “a legal necessity” for protecting the region’s identity, environment, and democratic rights.
