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Modi’s administration separated Ladakh from Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir in 2019. About half of Ladakh’s population practices Islam, while around 40% are Buddhists. A leader of the region’s main organization claims, “We’ve been exploited like slaves.”
Leh, Ladakh — the isolated desert region high up in the Himalayas, part of India — has been tense since four people died during violent protests, which centered on demands for more political independence. Discontent has been mounting over New Delhi’s direct control, especially as residents worry about losing their livelihoods. Last Wednesday, protests erupted in Leh, with demonstrators torching a police vehicle and the offices of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist party, BJP. Initial reports indicated five deaths, but this was later revised to four.
Ladakh, home to approximately 300,000 residents, shares borders with China and Pakistan and serves as a strategic location for India. The population is predominantly Muslim (about 50%), with a significant Buddhist community (around 40%).
The protests stem from Modi’s government’s decision to break Ladakh away from what was formerly Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir, ending its semi-autonomous status and imposing direct rule. Residents are increasingly resentful of this move, citing concerns over their land rights, livelihoods, and cultural identity. They feel that the removal of semi-autonomy stripped away protections over land, employment, and resources. Development decisions are now made in Delhi by officials from outside the region, leaving local elected councils sidelined. A local lawyer, Mustafa Haji, expressed, “All the protections we had under IIOJK are gone now.”
The main voice of the protesters is the Apex Body Leh, led by veteran leader Chering Dorjay, who stated, “We’ve been used like slaves,” vowing to persist in their struggle. The recent demonstrations also supported prominent activist Sonam Wangchuk, who had been on a two-week hunger strike until his detention last Friday. The government blames the unrest on “provocative speeches” by Wangchuk.
Protesters are calling for protections of land rights and restrictions on outsiders purchasing property in Ladakh. They seek constitutional autonomy under the Sixth Schedule of India’s constitution, which would grant local authorities authority over land use and employment laws. Although achieving such protections remains a challenge, negotiation efforts have led to some small wins, like reserving 85% of jobs for locals and delaying land acquisitions for non-residents until 2036. Nonetheless, Dorjay emphasizes there’s still a long journey ahead.
Land remains a sensitive issue amid government plans to develop large-scale solar and industrial projects requiring extensive land areas. Locals fear that these initiatives threaten grazing lands vital for the herding of pashmina goats, already under stress from climate change and military buffer zones established with China. Tensions intensified after deadly clashes with Chinese forces in 2020, with subsequent buffer zones reducing grazing areas further. Human rights advocate Haji warned that without protections, the loss of land and cultural identity leaves residents in a precarious situation.
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