On September 24, 2025, when protesters in Ladakh clashed with the police, four people died in the violence. Two days later, climate activist and educator, Sonam Wangchuck, who had been spearheading a hunger strike with 15 others, was detained under the National Security Act, 1980, and taken to Jodhpur Central Jail in Rajasthan. The Union government has accused him of instigating the violence, a charge that he has denied. Ladakh, which was turned into a Union Territory (UT) in 2019, has been protesting for Statehood and tribal status under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution. The government has been in talks with two civil society groups — the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), representing the Leh and Kargil regions, respectively — for three years.Should Ladakh get Statehood? Here we discuss the question.Guests: Sajjad Kargili, member of the Kargil Democratic Alliance; Rangarajan R., former IAS officer and author of Courseware on Quality SimplifiedHost: Vijait SinghEdited by Jude WestonListen to more In Focus podcasts:Published - October 03, 2025 01:04 am IST