Ladakh Celebrates Its Union Territory Status But Concerns Remain

Amid the initial joy of the declaration that Ladakh will now be a Union Territory, locals are now worried that letting in outsiders will come at a price.

At the edge of Chochut village, considered Ladakh’s largest, a group of young men are waiting outside a hall for the guests to arrive. A marriage is taking place. The lilting strains of the stokhna inside belie the worry in everyone’s mind that the aftermath of a cloudburst in Nubra Valley, roughly 160 kilometres away, could wash away the celebrations.

26-year-old Irfan Hussain, who is in wait outside with his friends welcoming guests, speaks of a different sort of worry. After the announcement of the abrogation of article 370 and the bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories, one in Ladakh without a legislative assembly, the region will now see a sea of changes. Hussain says he has “mixed feelings”.