Ecological struggles, identity, and Gandhian praxis: Rethinking political autonomy in Ladakh

The transformation of Ladakh into a Union Territory in 2019, following the abrogation of Article 370, has reconfigured its governance, intensifying debates around autonomy, identity, and ecological complexity. While presented as a path to accelerated development, centralization and militarization have deepened local concerns over land, resources, and representation. Using a political ecology lens, the paper explores how, in a context where political autonomy has become inseparable from ecological vulnerability, state-led development and securitization exacerbate environmental precarity and also undermine the very claims of autonomy they purport to address. It also engages with the concept of autonomy to show how demands for self-determination articulate both cultural survival and ecological governance. Against this backdrop, the paper analyses the emergence of Gandhian political praxis, particularly satyagraha, fasting, and non-violence reinterpreted in digital and performative forms by leaders like Sonam Wangchuk. These mobilizations not only highlight the moral force of non-violent protest but also expose its limitations under securitized state structures. The analysis marks the paradox of Ladakh's movement-while cross-communal solidarity and ecological activism have gained visibility, substantive political concessions remain elusive. The case of Ladakh thus illuminates the promises and limits of autonomy, ecological justice, and Gandhian resistance in contemporary Himalayan borderlands.