With no guarantee of autonomy, sub-zero Ladakh will continue to boil

Early in June, the Indian government issued four notifications aimed at providing improved employment and cultural security to Ladakh, the country’s northernmost region.

A high-altitude desert, Ladakh is ecologically and culturally fragile, and geopolitically strategic, sharing borders with Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and China-occupied Tibet.

Since at least 2023, the residents of Ladakh have been demanding legal safeguards as per the Constitution that would grant them autonomy in governing the region in tune with its unique cultural and ecological conditions, and ensure they get dignified livelihoods.

The June notifications addressed some of these key demands.

One provides for employment reservation of up to 85% for Ladakhis, excluding the 10% reservation for economically weaker sections. The total of up to 95% reservation is amongst the highest in India.

A second notification specifies that to obtain a “domicile certificate”, one has to already have a resident certificate, or have resided in Ladakh for 15 years after 2019. Such a certificate enables, amongst other things, access to job reservations. This means that non-Ladakhis will be ineligible for the next several years.

A third notification reserves 33% seats on the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Councils for women. The fourth specifies that for official purposes, the following languages must be used: English, Hindi, Urdu, Bhoti and Purgi, and that the Ladakh Administration should promote...

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