On September 24, 2025, protests in Leh, Ladakh, turned deadly, leaving four people killed and dozens injured. The demonstrators demand statehood, Sixth Schedule safeguards, and real autonomy — a struggle rooted in India’s 2019 unilateral reorganization of Jammu & Kashmir. In this detailed explainer, we trace the story behind Ladakh’s protests: 1. Why Ladakh was carved out of Jammu & Kashmir in 2019, and why many Ladakhis initially welcomed the move. 2. How disenchantment grew by 2021, leading to united protests by the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA). 3. What exactly happened on September 24, 2025, when a peaceful rally turned violent after hunger strikers collapsed, protesters set fire to police vehicles and a BJP office, and police responded with tear gas and live fire. 4. Why job quotas and domicile rules are seen as insufficient without constitutional autonomy. 5. The significance of the Sixth Schedule, which protesters argue is essential for protecting land, culture, and fragile ecology. 6. How the India–China standoff since 2020 created “buffer zones” that cut off Ladakhi herders and fishermen from their livelihoods. 7. The geopolitical stakes: China’s G219 highway through Aksai Chin, Pakistan’s narrative flank, and the role of the US and Quad in Ladakh’s security dynamics. 8. Why climate change and glacier retreat make eco-federalism a security imperative. We also discuss what to watch next: the October 6 talks with India’s Home Ministry, accountability for the September 24 casualties, and the broader democratic and geopolitical implications.