Sitting at the crossroads of India, Pakistan and China, Ladakh is a strategically vital frontier now echoing with louder calls for greater autonomy and even statehood.

Locals say promises made after Ladakh was separated from Jammu and Kashmir in 2019 remain unfulfilled, leaving them without control over land, jobs or resources.

Frustration boiled over in late September amid reports of a violent police crackdown on protesters. Many view Delhi's response as heavy-handed and unjust, especially since some former soldiers now face accusations of colluding with "foreign elements," despite insisting they remain deeply patriotic to India.