The streets of Leh were unusually quiet on Thursday.

Shops closed their doors. Traffic was thin. Residents gathered for prayers and memorial events instead of the usual activity in Ladakh’s main city.

It was a deliberate shutdown, marking exactly one year since four people were killed when protests demanding greater autonomy for the Himalayan region turned violent.

For many residents, the anniversary was not simply a day of mourning. It was also a reminder that the political demands that brought thousands of people onto the streets in 2025 remain largely unresolved.

The roots of Ladakh’s dispute go back to 2019, when India’s government reorganised the former state of Jammu and Kashmir.

Ladakh became a separate federally administered territory, ending the region’s previous political arrangement and placing major administrative powers directly under New Delhi.

Since then, local groups have demanded stronger consтιтutional protections, greater political representation and safeguards for land, employment, natural resources and cultural idenтιтy.

One of their central demands is inclusion under India’s Sixth Schedule, a consтιтutional framework that provides certain tribal areas with greater powers over local governance and land-related issues.

The movement had largely relied on peaceful demonstrations and hunger strikes before tensions escalated in September 2025.

A year ago, thousands of protesters gathered in Leh.

The demonstration was initially focused on demands for statehood and consтιтutional safeguards. But clashes later erupted between protesters and security forces.

Vehicles were set on fire and government-linked property was damaged. Security forces responded with tear gas and gunfire.

Four protesters were killed and dozens were injured. The incident became the most serious outbreak of violence since Ladakh was placed under direct federal administration.

The government subsequently ordered a judicial inquiry into the events.

One year later, however, the report has still not been publicly released.

Climate activist and Ladakh campaigner Sonam Wangchuk has called for the inquiry findings to be made public, saying they should clarify what led to the firing and how the violence began.

The violence did not end the political dispute.

Instead, representatives of Ladakh’s two main regional bodies — the Leh Apex Body and the Kargil Democratic Alliance — continued negotiations with India’s Ministry of Home Affairs.

There have been some concessions.

The government has reserved 85% of jobs for local residents and has said people from outside Ladakh will not be eligible for local domicile status until 2036.

But regional representatives continue to seek deeper consтιтutional and political protections, including stronger powers for an elected local legislature.

For many residents, the issue is therefore not only about employment quotas. It is about who has the authority to make decisions over Ladakh’s land, economy and future.

Just before the anniversary, Ladakh’s administration announced that criminal cases against 20 people arrested or charged after last year’s violence would be withdrawn.

Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena said the decision was intended to promote peace and social harmony in the region.

The move addressed one of the demands raised during negotiations, but it did not resolve the broader dispute.

The government has also continued dialogue with local representatives.

In March 2026, authorities revoked the detention of Sonam Wangchuk, who had been held under India’s National Security Act following the 2025 unrest. The government said it remained committed to dialogue and to providing safeguards for Ladakh.

Ladakh is home to only around 300,000 people, but its strategic importance is far greater than its population suggests.

The high-alтιтude region borders both China and Pakistan, placing it at the centre of India’s wider security concerns.

Its geography also makes the region particularly vulnerable to environmental pressures, while rapid development has raised questions about land, water, tourism and the protection of traditional livelihoods.

That combination of strategic importance, environmental vulnerability and demands for local political control has made Ladakh an increasingly sensitive issue for New Delhi.

The shutdown in Leh was peaceful, but the message from local groups remained clear.

Residents gathered to remember those who died, while political and civil society leaders repeated calls for greater autonomy and the release of the judicial inquiry report.

The government’s withdrawal of some criminal cases and its continuing negotiations indicate that dialogue has not completely broken down.

But the central questions remain.

How much political power should Ladakh have over its own affairs?

What consтιтutional protections should its residents receive?

And what happened on September 24, 2025, when four people lost their lives?

A year after the violence, Ladakh’s streets have fallen silent again — but the debate that brought people onto those streets has not.