Regional Dynamics and Contestation in Ladakh Politics: An Analysis of Post UT Political Discourse

The regional dynamics and inter-regional contestation have been a predominant feature of Ladakh politics since it became a part of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir in 1947. However, the ‘colonial constructed’Leh and Buddhist-centric image of Ladakhsignificantly overshadowed its regional and religious diversity in the literature as well as policy debate. Consequently, the scholarly works on Ladakh generally tended to disregard the dynamics of regional contestations such as Leh vis-à-vis Kargiland Kargil vis-à-vis Zanskar. Hence, the study of regional dynamics and the contested nature of Ladakh politics becomes essential. Since Ladakh witnessed a remarkable political change in the aftermath of its designationas Union Territory (UT),the constant contestation and negotiation within an evolving discourse in the post-UT period also demand an analysis.This study is based on secondary sources like books, journal papers, articles and newspaper reports and primary data of interviews conducted in the Leh and Kargil districts of Ladakh, India.