India imposes curfew in Ladakh after deadly clashes – DW – 09/25/2025

On Thursday, restrictions have been imposed in the remote Indian territory of Ladakh after the death of four protesters.

Two main districts in Leh and Kargil of Ladakh have banned groups of more than five people and a curfew has been kept.

This decreases after the protesters collided with the police on Wednesday as they called the Government of India for more autonomy for the Himalayan region.

A local leader, Sajjad Kargili urged the government to “work with knowledge, resume dialogue as soon as possible and address the aspirations of the people.”

Where is Ladakh?

The popular tourist area generally appeared deserted after protests on Wednesday.

About half of the 300,000 inhabitants from Ladakh are Muslims, about 40% are Buddhists and are classified as a ‘center area’, which means that it selects MPs for the Parliament of India, but is directly governed by New Delhi.

A police vehicle is seen as protesters
Ladakh residents are demanding autonomy from the Government of IndiaPicture: Tswang Rigzin/AFP/Getty Images

The high -altitude desert region has the border of China and Pakistan, which means that the Indian Army maintains a major presence in Ladakh.

Soldiers from India and China collided there in 2020, killing at least 20 Indians and four Chinese soldiers.

What happened during the protest?

The protesters allegedly set fire to the offices of a police vehicle and the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

In response, the authorities fired tear gas and used baton in attempts to dispersed the crowd.

A statement by the Ministry of Home Affairs of India claimed that an ‘uncontrolled mob’ attacked the police, injuring more than 30 officers.

The statement said, “In self -defense, the police had to resort to firing, in which some casualties are reported.”

Savings Ladakh: Locals lead permanent tourism drive

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Why were Ladakh protesting?

Ladakh was divided by the Indian controlled Kashmir after New Delhi removed the hood and semi -autonomy of the disputed region in 2019.

The demand for political rights in Ladakh has intensified in recent years, with Wednesday’s performance in solidarity with prominent activist Sonam Wangchuk.

Wangchuk has been on hunger strike after demanding ether full federal platform or constitutional security for Ladakh for its tribal communities, land and delicate environment.

New Delhi has so far promised to include Ladakh in the “Sixth Schedule” of the Constitution of India, which allows people to make their own laws and policies.

Edited by: ZAC Crellin

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