Ladakh Shutdown in Indian-Occupied Region Marks Year Since Deadly Protests

Ladakh – (Special Correspondent/Web Desk) – A complete Ladakh shutdown was observed on Thursday in Leh, the region’s main city, as people marked one year since four protesters were killed during a demand for greater autonomy.

Shops, markets and businesses stayed closed all day. Witnesses said the streets were almost empty, with very little traffic on the roads.

The shutdown was called by a Buddhist group. A member of the Ladakh Buddhist Association told AFP that the day was meant to honour those who lost their lives and to stand with their families.

He also said the closure was a way to remind the government about the people’s demand for autonomy. He asked not to be named.

Residents also held special Buddhist prayers in the city. They remembered the dead as “martyrs” of the movement.

The violence took place on September 24, 2025. Protests in Leh turned violent that day, and security forces opened fire. Four people died.

The anger in the region goes back to 2019. That year, the Indian government ended the partial autonomy of Ladakh and brought it under direct rule from New Delhi.

Ladakh was also separated from Jammu and Kashmir at that time. Since then, many locals have said they feel unprotected.

They say they have lost safeguards over land, jobs, natural resources and their cultural identity.

Residents also complain that most big decisions are now taken in New Delhi. Officials from outside the region usually carry them out, while the local elected council is pushed aside.

The region is very important to India because it shares borders with both China and Pakistan. It is a high, dry and thinly populated area, home to about 300,000 people. Around half of them are Muslim, and nearly 40 percent are Buddhist.

There was some movement on Wednesday, a day before the shutdown. Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena, the top administrator appointed by New Delhi, said cases against 20 people would be withdrawn.

In total, 89 people had been charged after last year’s violence. Saxena said the step was taken for peace, calm and harmony in Ladakh.

Talks between local leaders and the federal home ministry have continued since the protests. So far, however, the gains have been small.

The government has reserved 85 percent of jobs in Ladakh for local people. It has also said that Indians from outside the region cannot get domicile status there until 2036.

Many residents say this is not enough. Their main demand is protection under the Sixth Schedule of the Indian constitution.

Under that system, a local legislature could make laws on land use, jobs and traditional ways of earning a living. Supporters believe this would give Ladakh a real voice in its own future.

For now, the quiet streets of Leh sent a clear message. A year after the deaths, the pain is still fresh, and the demand for autonomy has not gone away.