The Modi Government is currently trapped on all sides: on one hand, there is declining popularity in the upcoming Bihar elections and, on the other, a civil disobedience movement against the BJP Government in Ladakh has created a serious situation.
The increasing bloodshed in the Himalayan region is a clear indication of the Modi Government’s complete failure. Since September 24, 2025, the youth in Leh, the capital of Ladakh, have been protesting against the Central BJP Government. Protesters set fire to a police vehicle as well as BJP offices, while the police used tear gas and batons to disperse the crowd. As of now, the protests have resulted in the deaths of five young individuals, over 70 injuries and 30 police officers also injured.
In the meantime, notable activist Sonam Wangchuk has emerged as a leader. Recent protests have been organized in solidarity with Wangchuk, who has been on a hunger strike demanding full federal state status and constitutional safeguards for Ladakh. A well-known environmental activist, Wangchuk established a university-level institution in Ladakh named the Himalayan Institute of Ladakh, which operates entirely on solar energy. The institution is managed not by technical staff, but by students. He has received international recognition for extraordinary services to the community, engineering work and as an educator. Wangchuk has termed these protests as a continuation of Generation Z after Nepal.
Since the situation deteriorated in Ladakh, Wangchuk has been in the government’s crosshairs, arrested under the CBI on charges of inciting youth through provocative statements and misleading people by citing references to Arab Spring-style protests and Generation Z protests in Nepal. The Modi Government has also revoked the FCRA license of Wangchuk’s NGO. Leh is currently under strict surveillance by Indian security forces, but the Modi Government seems to have forgotten that the struggle for freedom in Kashmir has been ongoing for the past 77 years under the shadow of gunfire.
The roots of this protest movement trace back to 2019 when India abrogated Articles 370 and 35-A of the Constitution, stripping the oppressed valley of its special state status. Previously, Ladakh was part of the State of Jammu and Kashmir, which was then divided into three separate parts, bringing Ladakh directly under federal administration. In its quest for power, the Modi Government, desirous of a majority in Ladakh, had promised to make it an autonomous state. According to the Times of India, the BJP Government’s negligence and criminal silence on Ladakh’s issues is concerning. After the abrogation of Article 370, Ladakh lost its state status and the people are now on the streets demanding constitutional rights and state autonomy.
For three consecutive years, the people of Ladakh have been protesting with four main demands: including Ladakh in the Sixth Schedule, granting full statehood to Ladakh, reservation in jobs for local Ladakhis, establishing a separate Public Service Commission for the region and two parliamentary seats for Leh and Kargil for representation at the Centre. Earlier, the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) had called for protests named “Leh Chalo” in Leh district. More than 90% of Ladakh’s population is registered as Scheduled Tribes, which has sparked demands to include the region under the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution. This provides autonomous administrative and governance structures in regions where recognized local communities dominate. Currently, 10 areas in India’s northeastern states fall under this schedule, but the Modi Government has yet to fulfill its promise for Ladakh.
According to Wangchuk, young protesters have been unemployed for five years and constitutional protections are not being granted. The literacy rate in Ladakh stands at 97%, which is about 80% higher than the national average in India. However, a 2023 survey found that 26.5% of Ladakh’s graduates are unemployed. Wangchuk has undertaken five hunger strikes over the past three years demanding constitutional protections. According to the 2011 census, the region has a population of 274,000, of which 46.40% are Muslims and 39.65% are Buddhists. In Leh district, the Buddhist population is 66.39%, but there are also 25 Muslim-majority villages.
Geographically, Ladakh is situated at an altitude of 9,800 feet and covers 59,146 square kilometers. It shares borders with the Tibetan region of China to the east, Himachal Pradesh to the south, Jammu to the west and both China and Pakistan to the northwest. In 2024, India held elections in Jammu and Kashmir, but nothing similar occurred in Ladakh, which lacks elected representatives to voice its issues. After being granted federal territory status, avenues for government employment for Ladakh’s residents in Jammu and Kashmir also closed. This is a grave injustice for a region with 97% literacy and about 26% graduate unemployment. Ladakh currently ranks second in unemployment among India’s states and union territories.
Interestingly, India has long blamed Pakistan for its military incompetence, but for the first time, it is attributing administrative failures to Wangchuk along with Pakistan. One possible reason for these protests could also be Wangchuk’s visit to Pakistan. The border connecting Ladakh with China spans nearly 1,600 kilometers and in 2020, India faced a severe setback there when Chinese troops ambushed Indian soldiers, killing 20. Following this, the Chinese advance moved several miles beyond the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh.
This unrest comes at a time when the UN General Assembly is holding its 80th session, which brings nothing but embarrassment, disgrace and humiliation for India. In Ladakh, the BJP has so far been seen as a strong party, but now the local people feel their identity and rights are being taken away by central policies. This anger and grief have manifested in the form of protests. The struggle for identity and rights in Ladakh is ongoing and only time will tell whether the negotiations taking place next month (October) will be merely a formal procedure or if the fire of Ladakh will intensify, engulfing Modi’s stronghold in the process.
—The writer is Chairman, Tehrik Jawanan Pakistan.
(abdullahhamidgul1@gmail.com)