India - September 2025

On 24 September, protests in Ladakh demanding statehood escalated into violence, marking the deadliest outbreak of unrest in the Himalayan region in decades. At least four people were killed, dozens injured and 50 others detained during clashes between protesters and police. The youth-led protests began as a hunger strike that called for statehood and inclusion under the Sixth Schedule–a provision in India’s Constitution that protects tribal communities by granting autonomy over land, resources and culture. Since 2019, the region has been organized as a federally-run union territory, having lost its semi-autonomous status following the passage of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Act. The government claims that activist Sonam Wangchuk incited the violence, which led to arson and vandalism of  several local offices of the ruling party, with at least 30 police personnel being injured. 

Sources: Times of India,  Human Rights Watch, Al Jazeera, BBC News