Ladakh campaigners for statehood and Sixth Schedule protections managed only a symbolic silent march in Leh on Saturday after the administration restricted gatherings, curbed communications and swathed the town in a security blanket.
Hundreds in neighbouring Kargil, however, marched in protest against the Centre’s alleged failure to meet the campaign’s demands, including a call for justice for those killed in last month’s violence in Leh.
Ladakhi leaders condemned the restrictions in Leh, which confined the march to “15 to 20” participants, but said they were ready for talks with the Centre.
Campaign leaders had announced a silent march in the morning and a blackout from 6pm to 9pm on Saturday.
Fearing a possible flare-up, the authorities on Friday evening announced restrictions on gatherings in Leh. They also suspended mobile Internet services, ordered educational institutions to close and deployed police and paramilitary forces in strength, sources said.
Chering Dorjay, co-chairman of the Leh Apex Body — one of the agitation spearheads — said the administration had confined him to his home for a couple of hours on Saturday. The police apparently erected a barricade and deployed personnel outside the house.
Dorjay said Ladakh police chief S.D. Singh Jamwal had called him to say he couldn’t move out but did not reply when he asked whether he was under house arrest.
He added that the restrictions on him were lifted after he informed Delhi-based journalists about the development over the phone.
Later, Dorjay and some other campaign leaders managed to conduct a silent march. Dorjay said the public was not allowed to participate.
He expressed surprise that the administration had disallowed a “peace march” and termed the restrictions “totally illegal”.
“It shows the government is scared, and when the government is scared of its people, it means there is something in it. They have something to hide,” he told a news conference in Leh.
In Kargil, Asghar Karbalai and Sajjad Kargili led the silent march. The participants wore black bands and carried placards seeking statehood and safeguards under the Sixth Schedule.
Dorjay welcomed the Centre’s decision to hold a judicial inquiry into the September 24 violence during a statehood protest in Leh town, in which four men were killed —allegedly in firing by the security forces.
He, however, expressed certain misgivings with the decision, too.
“One is that they have incorporated FIR 144 in it, which shows that there might be some inquiry against the boys (instead of the security forces),” he said.
“Another thing is that of the three men holding the inquiry, including the retired Supreme Court judge, none is a Ladakhi. This is surprising; it will not inspire confidence.”
The Union home ministry on Friday notified a judicial inquiry by the former Supreme Court judge, Justice B.S. Chauhan, into the circumstances “leading to the serious law and order situation, the police action and the resultant unfortunate death of the four individuals”.
Justice Chauhan will be assisted by retired district and sessions judge Mohan Singh Parihar as judicial secretary, and IAS officer Tushar Anand as administrative secretary, officials said.