Two Cong Councillors, others surrender in court; sent to police custody
Curfew relaxed in Leh for 2 hours; funerals of 4 victims on Sept 28, 29
Top Army Comdrs discuss situation with LG
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Sept 27: Curfew was relaxed for first time during last four days in Leh today in parts as situation remained normal notwithstanding detention of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk under National Security Act (NSA) while last rites of four persons killed in September 24 violence are scheduled to be held on September 28 and 29 under tight security arrangements with participation of limited number of people, mainly their family members.
Follow the Daily Excelsior channel on WhatsApp
Two Congress Councillors who have been accused by the administration of instigating mob to indulge in violence and arson on September 24 were among seven persons who surrendered before the court this evening as they were named in the First Information Reports (FIRs) lodged in the police station.
Click here to watch video
Sources said the Congress Councillors Stanzing Tsepak and Smanla Dorjee Nurbo besides five other youths surrendered before the court and were sent to police custody. The Councillors said they are innocent but are surrendering since they have been named in the FIR.
Funeral of four persons who were killed in police and CRPF firing on September 24 will be held on Sunday and Monday.
Leh Apex Body (LAB) co-chairman Chering Dorjay Lakruk said as per the astrologer the last rites of two firing victims will be held on Sunday and two on Monday. The administration today said only family members will be allowed to attend the funerals.
“Normally in Leh, 2000- 2500 people join the last rites. We have applied passes to join the funerals as curfew has been imposed in Leh,’’ Lakruk said.
Administration is unlikely to relax curfew during last rites of the victims in anticipation of violence. Therefore, it has decided to allow only family members to join the funerals, the sources said.
Lakruk said the LAB and KDA talks with the Union Home Ministry on September 29 stand.
Curfew, which was imposed in Leh on September 24 immediately after the incidents of arson and violence in which four civilians were killed and 90 injured besides offices of BJP, Hill Council offices and many vehicles were set afire by the mob, was relaxed for the first time today during last four days in two parts.
Curfew was relaxed from 1 PM to 3 PM in one part of the town and from 3.30 PM to 5.30 PM in other part of the town. The relaxation period passed off peacefully with people turning out in large numbers to purchase essential commodities.
CRPF, ITBP and Ladakh Police remained deployed in strength during relaxation period.
People were also seen queuing outside ATM kiosks in good numbers as the police and CRPF personnel kept a vigil.
Meanwhile, addressing a press conference in Leh today, Ladakh Director General of Police S D Singh Jamwal said Sonam Wangchuk is being probed for allegedly having links with Pakistan on the back of last month’s arrest of a Pakistani Intelligence Operative who sent videos of his protests across the border.
Jamwal described Wangchuk as the key person behind Wednesday’s violence that claimed the lives of four people and injured scores of others.
Wangchuk was yesterday detained under NSA and sent to a jail in Jodhpur in Rajasthan.
“What has been found in the investigation (against Wangchuk) cannot be disclosed at this moment. The process is going on and if you look at his profile and history, it is all available on YouTube. His speech worked as instigation as he talked about the Arab spring and the recent unrest in Nepal, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka.
“He had his own agenda. There is a probe of foreign funding, violation of FCRA against him. We have a PIO with us who was reporting across the border, sending videos of the protests led by Wangchuk,’’ Jamwal said.
Citing some of Wangchuk’s foreign visits, and terming them as suspicious, he said Wangchuk attended an event by The Dawn in Pakistan and also visited Bangladesh.
Asserting that Wangchuk tried to hijack the platform and tried to scupper the dialogue between the Centre and Ladakh representatives, Jamwal said Wangchuk continued his hunger strike, despite knowing that an informal meeting between the two sides was going to take place on September 25.
“Just a day before the informal meeting, a deliberate attempt was made to vitiate the peaceful atmosphere through provocative videos and statements which culminated with violence on Wednesday and unfortunate deaths,” he said.
To a question on foreign conspiracy in September 24 violence, he said three Nepal citizens were admitted to the hospital with bullet injuries and involvement of some others has also come to light.
He said, in all, 50 people have been taken into custody in connection with Wednesday’s violence. At least, half-a-dozen of them are suspected to be ringleaders, he said.
“Obviously, Wangchuk, who was the main instigator, has been lodged in an outside jail,” the DGP said.
Jamwal said forces were compelled to open fire on protesters, else the entire Leh would have been burned to the ground.
The violence that took place in the Union Territory’s capital on Wednesday was without precedent, he said, and blamed “vested interests” and climate activist Sonam Wangchuk for it.
Jamwal dismissed the allegation by the Leh Apex Body and Kargil Democratic Alliance, the bodies which have been spearheading the agitation for Statehood and Sixth Schedule status that forces fired indiscriminately, saying that it was done only in self-defence and to prevent a larger flare-up.
“If you look at the footage and the conditions in which our forces performed, they did a highly commendable job. I salute them for bringing the situation under control by 4 pm after the violence started around noon,” the DGP said.
He said about 70 to 80 police and CRPF personnel were also injured in the confrontation.
“Do you want the force personnel to die? That is not possible. Everyone has a life. When they attacked a political party’s office and set it on fire, four women constables of the Ladakh police were inside. We rescued them with great difficulty. The CRPF personnel posted there were severely thrashed, and one of them is still admitted to an Army hospital with spinal injury,” he said.
“The Secretariat, where most of the offices are located, was attacked. Do you want the employees to burn to death? You don’t want that,” said the officer, who also sustained minor wounds.
“The violence was aimed at creating anarchy, and countering anarchy was our main task,” he said.
Jamwal defended the deployment of CRPF in advance, saying there was intelligence that some elements, including Wangchuk, were trying to disturb the peace. “If the CRPF had not been there that day, I am telling you with full confidence that the entire town would have been burned down. We do not want a force here. We want peace. But peace will only come when a citizen understands his responsibility’’.
According to the police chief, around 6,000 people went on a rampage on Wednesday.
“I am posted for the second time here. I know the psyche of the people of Ladakh. I believe that the people of Ladakh have always supported the police and administration. Everyone I met is ashamed of this. No one anticipated this type of violence,” he said.
Jamwal also recounted casualties among the force members, saying that this year, in three different incidents, two police constables and one Inspector died in the line of duty.
“Last month, when there were floods and landslides, our force worked day and night. Before that, in March, 200-300 vehicles were stuck on the Changla Pass in the snow. We spent an entire night pulling people to safety,” he said.
Jamwal said 1,800 Government jobs have been advertised for recruitment, while a police recruitment drive is also planned, as he sought the youths’ support in keeping peace in Ladakh.
A passing out parade of some 500 police recruits was scheduled to take place the previous day but had to be postponed, he said. “We are with you and want you to join the police force.”
The Directorate of Information & Public Relations (DIPR), Ladakh, in a statement late Friday night, said: “Time and again it has been observed that Wangchuk has been indulging in activities prejudicial to the security of the state and detrimental to maintenance of peace and public order and services essential to the community.”
It said that despite clear communication from the Government regarding the meeting of the High-Powered Committee (HPC) and the offer of prior meetings before the HPC, Wangchuk, with his “ulterior motive”, continued his hunger strike in the town from 18 September.
“His series of provocative speeches, references to Nepal agitations, Arab Spring, etc, and misleading videos resulted in the violent protests of 24 September in Leh, where institutions, buildings and vehicles were burnt down, and, in the aftermath, police personnel were attacked, leading to the unfortunate death of four individuals.
“The entire episode could have been avoided if he could have risen above his personal and political ambitions by calling off the hunger strike when the dialogue with the government was resumed on the same agenda,” the statement alleged, referring to the demands for statehood and extension of the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution to the region.
The statement said it was important to restore normalcy in the peace-loving Leh town of Ladakh.
It said the administration, based on specific inputs, took a considered decision to detain Wangchuk under the NSA and move him to Jodhpur prison in Rajasthan.
Meanwhile General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Army’s Northern Command, Lieutenant General Pratik Sharma today called on Ladakh Lt Governor Kavinder Gupta in Leh and discussed the current situation in violence-hit Leh town.
The meeting focused on the overall security scenario, emerging challenges in the region, and the need for enhanced coordination between civil administration and the armed forces to maintain peace and stability, emphasising the importance of preparedness and synergy in addressing any contingency.
He said Gupta appreciated the Army’s role in safeguarding the borders and ensuring the safety of the people. The GOC-in-C reaffirmed the Army’s commitment to the security and integrity of the Union Territory.
General Officer Commanding of 14 Corps Lt Gen Hitesh Bhalla, Maj Gen Dalbir Singh (MGGS Northern Command) and Colonel Vikas Vasisht (Deputy Military Advisor to Northern Army Commander) were among those who attended the meeting, the spokesperson said.
Meanwhile, what was meant to be a week-long holiday exploring the scenic landscapes of Ladakh has turned into days of uncertainty for many tourists following the imposition of curfew in Leh on Wednesday.
Amanda V Varvocks, an Australian tourist who reached the town on Thursday, said she was confined to her hotel and rued the “lack of information” from the administration.
“This is nothing short of a nightmare…we have planned a visit to different places during our stay here, but the administration is not forthcoming. We have paid for our visit to Pangong Lake and also received the permit, but they are not allowing us, saying there is no signature on the slip,” Vorvoks, also known by her nickname Mandy.
Accompanied by Indian citizen Anuj Handoo, who works in a private bank in Delhi-NCR, she said the lack of clear communication from the officials is frustrating and urged the Government to give a clarification so that tourists can decide whether to continue their stay or cut short their visit.
“The problem is only in the town where we are being forced to stay. There is no issue at other places, but they are not giving us any information,” Vorvoks said.
The tourist said she had visited many places in India, and it was her long-cherished wish to visit Ladakh. “The wish was fulfilled, but I would not have liked it this way.”
She said the hotel staff is also concerned about their guests, as they are running low on essential supplies due to the security lockdown.
Handoo said they have been trying to get the official’s signature on the permit slip for visiting Pangong Lake for the last two days, but could not succeed due to the curfew.
“We are returning on October 2 and want the government to appoint a nodal officer to facilitate the smooth movement of tourists,” he said.
Handoo said they have heard that some foreign tourists were cleared for the trip and have left for the lake.
“Most of the tourists are staying in their hotel rooms,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Ladakh administration has asked job aspirants appearing in the examination for selection of Civil Judge (junior division), being conducted by the J&K Public Service Commission, to produce their admit cards, which shall be treated as curfew passes during their to-and-fro movement.
“In view of the restrictions currently put in place, candidates belonging to Leh and Kargil are hereby informed that they will be allowed to travel to Srinagar or Jammu (in J&K) for appearing in the examination (on September 28) on production of their admit cards, which shall be treated as curfew passes during their to-and-fro movement,” an official announcement said.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
