Autonomy Protests on The ‘Roof of The World’
Shutdown and violent clashes result in the bloodiest unrest in Ladakh’s recent history
By: Majid Maqbool
Ladakh, a picturesque high-altitude Himalayan region known as the “Roof of the World,” sits between Pakistan and China and is home to 304,000 people. Despite a long tradition of peaceful protest, the region faces an unprecedented political crisis which took four civilian lives on September 24 following years of discontent.
Analysts now warn that Ladakh’s 75-year record of loyalty to India is under strain due to a growing sense of abandonment by the ruling government in New Delhi. The region, with a rich Buddhist tradition, was a part of the autonomous Indian-administered Jammu & Kashmir before Delhi split the region and imposed direct rule in 2019.
Since 2021, residents have led a simmering peaceful movement seeking statehood, job quotas, and special status, which they say is essential to preserve their distinct identity and culture. Fresh hunger strikes, which started on September 10, culminated in deadly protests on September 24 in Leh, the centuries-old regional capital, when police fired on the demonstrators, resulting in the death of three local youths and an ex-serviceman, and numerous injuries to others…
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