After days of tension and grief in the Union Territory, a renewed attempt at healing began in Leh on Thursday as the Ladakh administration opened formal dialogue with local leaders, religious heads, and civil society representatives. The talks marked a crucial first step toward restoring calm after the September 24 clashes that left four people dead and led to a sweeping internet shutdown across the region.
The high-level meeting, chaired by Chief Secretary Pawan Kotwal and Director General of Police S.D. Singh Jamwal was described by participants as “constructive and conciliatory.” It brought together representatives from the influential Leh Apex Body (LAB), including Thupstan Chhewang and Chering Dorjay Lakruk, LAHDC-Leh Chief Executive Councillor Tashi Gyalson, senior Buddhist monks, political party leaders from the BJP, Congress, and AAP, and top district officials.
Proceedings began with a minute’s silence in memory of the four people killed during the protest-day firing. This was a shocking incident that clanked Ladakh’s close-knit communities, already agitated by long-standing demands for statehood and constitutional safeguards under the Sixth Schedule. Local leaders reiterated these demands, urging the administration to take immediate and visible steps to rebuild trust. They pressed for a judicial probe into the firing, the release of detained youth, fair compensation for bereaved families, and the prompt restoration of mobile internet services, which is a vital communication link in the sparsely connected Himalayan region.
Officials assured of swift action. The administration confirmed that internet services, suspended for nearly two weeks, would be restored by Thursday night or early Friday, a promise that has since been fulfilled. A senior official said that they are committed to peace through dialogue, and justice, empathy, and transparency will guide our next steps.
While Section 144 continues to remain in force across Leh, the easing of communication restrictions has been widely welcomed as a sign of returning normalcy. Security remains tight, but the mood in the city of Ladakh is way calmer.
As of now, Thursday’s meeting marks the first concrete step toward reconciliation, a gesture that many hope will pave the way for an enduring and inclusive peace process in the fragile mountain region.
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