SRINAGAR: A growing controversy over the opening of new liquor outlets in Ladakh has triggered protests by women from different religious communities in Leh, drawn criticism from climate activist Sonam Wangchuk and prompted the Leh Apex Body (LAB) to raise concerns over the region’s new liquor policy and the issuance of multiple bar licences.
Braving sub-zero night temperatures, women have been staging a sit-in at NDS Memorial Park in Leh, demanding the closure of the newly opened outlets. The protesters fear that the increased availability of alcohol could adversely affect young people, families and Ladakh’s social fabric.
The agitation, which has continued for several days, has brought together women associated with Buddhist, Muslim and Christian organisations. Protesters allege that the administration issued multiple licences without adequately consulting local communities.
Wangchuk has also criticised the policy, accusing the Ladakh administration of promoting alcohol consumption while Gujarat, another state under BJP rule, maintains prohibition.
In a post on X, Wangchuk referred to what he described as the “disputes on the Ladakh border”, arguing that the region’s current confrontation was not with China but with its own administration.
“Unlike in Arunachal Pradesh, in Ladakh, it’s not with China. It’s with Ladakh’s own LG, VK Saxena ji, who is constantly firing alcohol cannons to… ‘fight the drug menace in Ladakh’,” he wrote.
He said the Mothers’ and Women’s Alliances had been protesting against the opening of bars in villages, homestays and guesthouses, as well as near schools and temples.
“People fail to understand why they’re pushing alcohol in Ladakh while making Gujarat a dry state,” Wangchuk said.
The protest has continued despite harsh weather conditions, with around 15 to 20 women reportedly remaining at the site overnight. Women from different villages have been taking turns to ensure that the sit-in continues, while larger numbers join during the day.
Kunzes Dolma, president of the women’s wing of the Ladakh Buddhist Association, said women from several religious communities had been compelled to protest after new liquor shops opened in the region.
“We want these shops to be shut,” she told The Tribune.
Ruth Pem, president of the Christian Women’s Community in Leh, said the protesters were concerned about the potential impact of increased alcohol availability on families and young people.
“There is a lot of cold, but what option do we have? Many liquor shops have been opened, and it will impact society and the youth. What will happen to a family when a man comes home after drinking alcohol?” she said.
Salima Khatun, vice-president of the women’s wing of Anjuman Moin-ul-Islam, said the protesters had exhausted other avenues, including submitting a memorandum to the authorities, without receiving a response.
“We have used all available resources and even submitted a memorandum, but received no response. We were forced to begin the protest. In the coming days, we will intensify it,” she said.
The protesters have also questioned the decision-making process, arguing that communities should have been consulted before the licences were granted.
The liquor controversy also figured prominently at a stakeholders’ meeting organised by the Leh Apex Body in Leh on October 25. The meeting was attended by around 500 people, including former bureaucrats, former legislators, former councillors and representatives of villages and various social and political organisations.
The meeting discussed the new liquor policy and the issuance of multiple bar licences alongside other contentious issues, including the proposed Nautor land regularisation rules and amendments to the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council Act.
Participants expressed concern over what they viewed as a weakening of the Hill Council’s institutional authority and questioned the administration’s approach to governance and local interests.
LAB chairman Chering Dorjay Lakrook briefed the gathering on recent political developments, alleging that the proposal presented by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs at its October 15 meeting represented a reversal of understandings reached during a May 22 meeting.
Lakrook also accused the Union Territory administration, headed by Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena, of prioritising outside business interests in its approach to Ladakh’s land and tourism sectors. He alleged that businessmen from outside the region were eyeing local land and tourism opportunities.
The meeting brought together representatives of several organisations, including the Ladakh Travel Trade Association, the All Ladakh Hotel and Guest House Association, transport bodies, Anjuman Moin-ul-Islam, Anjuman Imamia, the Christian Association of Leh and the Ladakh Gompa Association.
Participants subsequently visited NDS Memorial Park to express solidarity with the women protesting against the liquor policy and the issuance of multiple bar licences.
The liquor controversy has emerged amid wider concerns among Ladakh’s political and social organisations about the administration’s policies and their implications for local communities.
At the LAB meeting, representatives of the travel and transport sectors accused the administration of introducing measures they considered detrimental to established local businesses.
Ladakh Travel Trade Association president Tsetan Angchuk argued that local tourism operators had developed the region’s tourism industry through decades of work and experience. He questioned the administration’s initiatives, including the procurement of luxury buses, proposed tent cities and a wildlife safari jeep programme, which he said risked competing with local operators.
The discussions reflected broader concerns about how policy decisions affecting Ladakh’s economy, land and social life are being made, and the extent to which local stakeholders are being consulted.
Sources in the Ladakh administration said officials were in touch with the women protesters and efforts were under way to resolve the issue and end the agitation.
A meeting between the administration and the protesting women has been scheduled for the end of October, offering an opportunity to address their objections to the new liquor policy and the licensing of outlets.
The protesters, however, have maintained that the newly opened shops should be closed, insisting that the administration should have consulted local communities before taking decisions with potentially far-reaching social consequences.
The outcome of the proposed meeting will likely be closely watched as the controversy brings alcohol policy, community consent, and the region’s social priorities into sharper focus.
