Why are people in India’s Ladakh protesting against central government?

Residents in Leh and Kargil join forces to demand more power as they fear loss of their tribal identity.

More than four years ago, when India’s Hindu nationalist government carved out Ladakh from Indian-administered Kashmir, the regional capital, Leh, erupted in joy. A majority of its voters even cast ballots for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party for fulfilling a long-term demand. They had accused the Kashmir-based leadership of discriminating against the Buddhist-majority Himalayan region, known for its snowcapped peaks and lush grasslands.

But the jubilation in Leh did not last long.

The government’s decision to run the territory directly from New Delhi has raised concerns about the region’s democratic marginalisation, lack of say in developmental projects and militarisation of the ecologically sensitive Himalayan region, located at an altitude of 5,730 metres (18,800ft).

On March 6, hundreds of people assembled in Leh after the latest round of talks with the interior ministry yielded no results. Ladakh activist Sonam Wangchuk launched a 21-day fast unto death to demand a devolution of power and constitutional protections to fight against what he said is an onslaught of outside influence that threatens the loss of their tribal identity.

“I want to follow the peaceful methods …so that our government and policymakers take notice of our pain and act,” Wangchuk said.

In August 2019, Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government scrapped the special status granted to Kashmir and bifurcated it into two federally administered regions – Jammu and Kashmir as well as Ladakh.

But Ladakh’s leaders said they have lost political representation in the current bureaucratic setup and have little say in the development projects