The crisis in Ladakh has escalated sharply. What began as a peaceful push for statehood and constitutional protections has turned into one of the region’s most serious confrontations in recent years.
On Wednesday, police action in Leh left four protesters dead and many more injured, while at least 50 were detained as authorities imposed a strict curfew.
The government has responded on multiple fronts. A “special envoy” was dispatched to Leh in an attempt to calm the situation. At the same time, the Ministry of Home Affairs announced the cancellation of the FCRA licence of Himalayan Institute of Alternatives, Ladakh (HIAL), run by climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, who is widely seen as the face of the protests. HIAL is an institution focused on experiential learning for mountain youth to develop solutions for the Himalayan region.
The licence was revoked after a preliminary inquiry into alleged FCRA violations that, reportedly, has been under way for about two months. The move came a day after the Centre publicly said Wangchuk’s statements had ‘incited’ the unrest. Wangchuk, who had recently ended a 15-day hunger strike, has denied the charge, but acknowledged the growing anger among Ladakh’s youth.
How The Protests Turned Violent
The unrest traces its roots back to September 10, when Wangchuk, backed by the Leh Apex Body (LAB), began a hunger strike at Leh’s NDS Memorial Park. For days, people from surrounding villages joined in solidarity, often in small numbers.
But Wednesday marked a sharp break. Instead of the usual dozens or hundreds, thousands of people poured in—among them a striking number of young men and teenagers. What pushed them onto the streets was the deteriorating health of two elderly demonstrators, Tsering Angchuk (72) and Tashi Dolma (60), who were hospitalised after days of fasting. Their condition became a rallying point, transforming unease into fury.
LAB co-chairman Chering Dorjay, reportedly present at the site, said the surge in turnout came from Ladakh’s younger generation, whose patience with years of peaceful protest appeared to have worn thin.
What Are The Demands Gaining Ground?
The protests are rooted in the political reorganisation of Jammu & Kashmir in August 2019. The abrogation of Article 370 dissolved the state and split it into two Union Territories. Jammu & Kashmir retained an elected legislature, giving its residents some measure of local political voice.
Ladakh, in contrast, was left without one—ruled directly by centrally appointed bureaucrats.
This absence of representation is at the core of Ladakh’s agitation. It is being argued that policies on governance and development are often drawn up without consulting Ladakhis, leaving them feeling sidelined in choices that directly affect their land and livelihoods.
There is also deep concern about the region’s fragile ecology. Locals warn that large-scale projects—ranging from solar power parks to new infrastructure—could endanger the delicate mountain environment if decisions continue to be made solely from New Delhi.
A large share of Ladakh’s population belongs to communities classified as Scheduled Tribes, which has bolstered the demand for inclusion under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution. This framework, currently applied to ten autonomous regions in India’s Northeast, grants tribal-majority areas significant control over land rights, resources, and governance.
Yet, despite repeated assurances of dialogue, the Centre has resisted these core demands. Government representatives point to the High-Powered Committee as proof of engagement, but for Ladakhi groups, its work has been cosmetic. With every year that passes without resolution, calls for statehood and Sixth Schedule protections grow louder—and now, more urgent.
Anger Over Jobs, Representation And Delayed Talks
Beyond questions of constitutional status, everyday frustrations are also feeding the movement. Before 2019, Ladakhis had access to jobs across the wider state of Jammu & Kashmir. The reorganisation cut off those opportunities, leaving residents reliant on a smaller, more uncertain job market within Ladakh itself.
Residents have complained that the absence of a legislative assembly has left them with little control over their own affairs, weakening their ability to safeguard Ladakh’s interests. Many complain that employment opportunities, land rights, and earlier safeguards available under the larger state of Jammu & Kashmir have diminished since Ladakh was carved out as a Union Territory.
The lack of political representation only sharpens this sense of exclusion. With no legislature, grievances have no direct platform. Protest leaders from both the Leh Apex Body and the Kargil Democratic Alliance say their repeated meetings with central officials have yielded little more than vague assurances. The Centre insists that “phenomenal results” have already been achieved through dialogue, but on the ground, people feel ignored.
This supposed gap between promises and lived reality has sharpened frustration among Ladakh’s youth, who are increasingly at the forefront of the agitation.
Why Ladakh Matters, And Its Protest History
This is not the first time Ladakh has erupted. Since 2019, civic groups and community organisations have staged marches, sit-ins, and hunger strikes pressing for statehood and constitutional safeguards.
Wangchuk himself has gone on five hunger strikes in the last three years, becoming the most recognisable voice of the movement, amplified by his reputation as an educator and innovator of sustainable technologies. His wider reach has made him a rallying point not just in Ladakh but across India.
But Ladakh’s significance extends far beyond domestic politics. Sitting at the Himalayan frontier, the region borders China and connects to vital mountain passes, airfields, and supply routes.
In 2020, eastern Ladakh was the site of the violent clash between Indian and Chinese forces at the Galwan Valley, where at least 20 Indian soldiers and four Chinese troops were killed. That confrontation led to the mobilisation of tens of thousands of soldiers on both sides, along with tanks, artillery, and infrastructure rushed to high-altitude posts.
It is this dual reality—Ladakh as both a contested internal issue and a frontline in India’s standoff with China—that makes the current unrest especially delicate.
