Leh, Ladakh – The windswept plateau of Ladakh, often romanticised as the “roof of the world,” turned into a theatre of violence on Wednesday as clashes between protesters and security forces left four dead and at least 70 injured. The unrest marked one of the most serious flare-ups since Ladakh was carved out as a separate Union Territory (UT) in August 2019 following the abrogation of Article 370.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) squarely blamed the crisis on Sonam Wangchuk – the celebrated Ladakhi engineer, education reformist, environmental innovator, and Ramon Magsaysay Award recipient. “In spite of many leaders urging to call off the hunger strike, he continued with it and misled the people through provocative mentions of Arab Spring-style protest and references to Gen Z protests

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