Ladakh's winter of discontent

From cheering its UT status, the region is now mired in protest

Ladakh’s descent from a prominent cheerleader of the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution in 2019 to a vocal dissenter of the Centre’s policies highlights the political risks of neglecting local aspirations for long. In August 2019, Ladakhis had celebrated on the streets of capital Leh the region’s carve-out from Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) and its creation as a Union Territory. The expectation was that the fulfilment of this long-standing demand would lead to greater self-determination and prosperity for Ladakh. In the three and a half years since, simmering unrest at what locals see as the weakening of their