Shaheed Diwas marked with prayers, mass gathering and shutdown across Ladakh; Sonam Wangchuk threatens ‘People’s Tribunal’ if Sept 24 probe report remains withheld
LEH: A year after four civilians were killed during the September 24, 2025 violence in Leh, Ladakh observed Shaheed Diwas (Martyrs’ Day) on Thursday with prayers, tributes, a major public gathering and a shutdown across Leh and several other parts of the Union Territory.
The observance brought together leaders and supporters of the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), with the NDS Martyrs’ Memorial Park and NDS Ground emerging as the focal points of the commemorative programme. Shops and business establishments remained closed in Leh and Kargil and traffic was markedly thin as sections of Ladakh observed the first anniversary of the deaths.
The day began with prayers at the NDS Martyrs’ Memorial Park, where tributes were paid to those who lost their lives in the September 24, 2025 incident. A subsequent gathering at NDS Ground was addressed by LAB Chairman Chering Dorjay Lakrook, KDA Co-Chairman Asgar Ali Karbalai, former MP Thupstan Chhewang, sitting MP Haji Hanifa Jan and activist Sonam Wangchuk.
Addressing the gathering, Wangchuk called for the early submission and public release of the inquiry findings, saying the report was necessary to establish the circumstances surrounding the police firing and the sequence of events that led to the deaths and injuries.
His warned that, if the government did not release the inquiry report, the people would seek an alternative mechanism. He proposed a “People’s Tribunal”, involving judges, retired judges and other institutions, to examine the events if the official findings continued to be withheld. He concluded with the demand: “Justice must be served to the martyrs. Justice must be served to Ladakh.”
The four civilians who died during the violence were Tsewang Tharchin, Stanzin Namgyal, Jigmet Dorjay and Rinchen Dadul. A central issue dominating this year’s commemoration was the pending report of the judicial inquiry ordered into the September 24, 2025 incident. The report has not been made public even after a year.
The shutdown gave the anniversary a distinctly sombre character, with markets, commercial establishments and business hubs in Leh remaining closed and public transport largely off the roads. Similar observances and tribute programmes were reported in Kargil.
The anniversary also followed a symbolic 20-km padyatra from Kharu to Leh on September 23. The march, led by Wangchuk and joined by representatives of the LAB, culminated at the Shaheed Memorial Park after participants traversed roughly 20 km. Organisers said the originally planned longer programme had been curtailed because of changing weather conditions.
The march began after the consecration of Changchub Chorten at Kharu, built by villagers in memory of Stanzin Namgyal. The procession was subsequently joined by religious and civil-society leaders before concluding at the memorial park in Leh.
The Martyrs’ Day observance also came against the backdrop of recent measures by the Ladakh Administration. On the eve of the anniversary, Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena approved withdrawal of criminal cases against 20 individuals booked in connection with the September 2025 violence, following a review and recommendation by the Ladakh Police. The LG said the decision was taken in the larger interest of peace, public tranquillity and social harmony.
Earlier this month, the Administration sanctioned ₹1.52 crore in compensation for the families of the four deceased and those injured during the violence. The families of each of the four deceased were sanctioned ₹15 lakh, while compensation was approved for people suffering major and minor injuries.
For Ladakh, September 24 thus remained a day of remembrance as well as renewed public focus on the unresolved questions surrounding last year’s violence. With the inquiry report still awaited and dialogue between Ladakh representatives and the Centre continuing, the commemorations brought the issues of accountability, constitutional safeguards and Ladakh’s political future back to the centre of public discourse.
The September 24, 2025 protests had been centred on demands including statehood for Ladakh and constitutional safeguards under the Sixth Schedule. The demonstrations turned violent, resulting in four deaths and injuries to scores of people. The Ladakh Administration subsequently ordered a judicial inquiry into the incident.
