Daily Briefing: Why is Ladakh protesting?

Homebound’s battle is just the latest flashpoint in the turmoil shaking up the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). An Express Investigation uncovers the rift within the board and the mounting tensions over how films are policed.

Top filmmakers and board members spoke to The Indian Express about the controversial decision-making at the CBFC. Many accused CBFC chairperson Prasoon Joshi of running a “one-man-show” which has spiralled into a “super censorship raj”.

🔎 Take a closer look at the allegations and the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting’s response.

And it’s not just Homebound. Honey Trehan’s Punjab ’95 has been awaiting certification since 2022. Some of the cuts in other commercial films are rather telling. Sample this: Vivek Agnihotri’s The Bengal Files was asked to rename the pivotal character Sita Mandal, a Dalit journalist, to Gita. The board had also objected to the name of a rape victim, Janaki — another name for Sita — in the Malayalam movie Janaki vs State of Kerala.

👉 My colleague Jay Mazoomdaar has the full story.

On that note, let’s get to the rest of today’s edition. 👇

🚨 Big Story

Tensions that had long simmered in Ladakh boiled over on Wednesday as protests demanding statehood and seeking an extension of Sixth Schedule protections to the Union Territory turned violent. The police opened fire on protesters, killing four people and injuring 50 others. The BJP office in Leh was also torched. Notably, the violence occurred ahead of talks between the Centre and the Leh Apex Body, scheduled for October 6, following a four-month gap.

Zoom in: The issue stems from the contentious legal status Ladakh has found itself in ever since it was turned into a UT without a legislature after the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019. This means the people of Ladakh are currently under direct central administration. Protesters believe that with the extension of the Sixth Schedule, originally for the Northeast, Ladakh could create regional governance bodies — the Autonomous District Councils.

A hiccup: Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk has been leading this agitation, which had been a peaceful campaign until yesterday. However, the Centre, reluctant to extend Sixth Schedule protections to Ladakh, does not see eye to eye with Wangchuk and has tried to keep him off the negotiating table. In fact, the Home Ministry has accused Wangchuk of “misleading people” and instigating the mob with his “provocative speeches”.

What now? Wangchuk, who was on a hunger strike for the past 35 days, has called off the fast. The government has imposed a curfew as a precaution. The Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) has announced a bandh in the district.

⚡Only in Express

India, China and the US are more intricately tied than commonly understood. Ashley J Tellis, former senior adviser to the US ambassador to India, explains that when the US viewed China as its geopolitical rival, India enjoyed priority as an ally in the region. But this isn’t US President Donald Trump’s outlook. Rather, he sees all countries as economic competitors, which makes India another “problem” among others.

How should New Delhi navigate the new realities under Trump? Read the full interview with Tellis.

📰 From the Front Page

Evading law: Chaitanyananda Saraswati, a man in his 60s and the chancellor of South Delhi institute, run by a religious group, has been accused of sexually harassing at least 17 women students, sending them lewd messages and forcing them to accompany him on foreign trips and visit his room late at night. And this isn’t the only complaint against him. Saraswati is now on the run.

A letter from a former student and an email from an Indian Air Force Group Captain sent to the institute that blew the lid off the alleged sexual harassment. For more on the case, tune in to today’s ‘3 Things’ podcast episode.

On path: As India looks to reach a trade deal with the US, there has been increased focus on nuclear cooperation between the two countries. Commerce Ministry Piyush Goyal, who is currently holding talks in the US, said that going forward, there will be a “very high element” of US involvement in India’s energy security goals.

📌 Must Read

Visa wars: The H-1B visa fee, seen largely as an appeasement of the MAGA base, could hurt the American tech sector and visa applicants, especially from India. China, meanwhile, may be a potential gainer as it prepares to roll out a new category of visas — K-visa — for foreign science and technology talents. This comes amid China’s attempts to position itself as a superpower, an alternative to the US. Know all about it.

Sehwag 2.0: Deconstructing the myth of Punjabi batsmen as short-fused, punch-ready alpha-men, Abhishek Sharma emanates an unreal calm among his teammates. My colleague Sandip G writes why Sharma just might be Virender Sehwag reincarnate.

⏳ And Finally…

The bots have taken over. They control communications, businesses, and even warfare. Humanity is left watching as its own creation slips the leash. Okay, none of this is true (yet), but doomsayers and sceptics of artificial intelligence (AI) warn that it could be. Already, AI-driven traffic has surpassed human activity online. All of this forms the central fears of the ‘Dead Internet Theory’ that’s gaining traction all over social media. Even ChatGPT founder Sam Altman is talking about it. What does it say? Dive in.

That’s all for today, folks! Until tomorrow,
Sonal Gupta

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