Full Breakdown
Ladakh Activist Sonam Wangchuk Schedules Symbolic 20-km March in Leh
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event: Planned Symbolic Padyatra
Activist Sonam Wangchuk will lead a 20-km “padyatra” in Leh on September 23, 2026. The march, reduced to a symbolic walk because of cold nights, will be followed by a “martyrs’ day” gathering on September 24 to mark the first anniversary of last year’s lethal protests in the city. Wangchuk announced the revised plan in a video posted on Twitter on September 17.
Background & Context
Ladakh lost its special status under Article 370 in 2019 and was reconstituted as a Union Territory without a legislative assembly. Since then, local groups such as the Leh Apex Body and the Kargil Democratic Alliance have pressed for full statehood and inclusion under the Constitution’s Sixth Schedule to secure tribal safeguards. Talks between Ladakhi civil-society representatives and the Ministry of Home Affairs took place on September 9, 2026, but no agreement on an elected body has been reached. The planned march follows last year’s unrest, during which the local BJP office was set ablaze and security forces killed four protesters.
Official Statements & Responses
The same civil-society groups, however, support the martyr-day remembrance events.
Data & Statistics
- Four protesters were killed and more than 60 people injured during the September 2025 clashes, according to India Today.
- The 2025 protests triggered a citywide curfew and a ban on gatherings of more than five people.
- Wangchuk previously endured a 170-day detention under the National Security Act in Jodhpur jail following a hunger strike after the 2025 unrest.
Verbatim Quote
“On September 23, we will be observing martyrs' day to remember those who gave their lives for safeguarding Ladakh’s culture, environment and democracy,” — Sonam Wangchuk, activist