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ISLAMABAD, Oct 11 (APP):Weeks after the September 24 protests and the killing of four civilians by Indian forces, the main market and tourist areas in the Ladakh region of Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir remain eerily deserted exposing a stark contrast to official claims of normalcy.
According to Kashmir Media Service, hotels and guesthouses that once bustled with tourists now stand empty. Room rates, which typically ranged from Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000, have been slashed to as low as Rs 500 to Rs 1,000 yet even these deep discounts have failed to draw visitors, reports the English-language digital news portal of Jagran Prakashan Limited, a major Indian publishing house.
Taxi stands are also deserted and Leh town seems to host more Indian forces personnel than tourists.
The economic fallout has been devastating.
According to Rigzin Wagmo Lechik, an earlier incident in Pahalgam had already slashed tourist inflow by 50%, but the recent violence has deepened the crisis, with estimated losses now reaching nearly 80%. Nearly 2,000 hotels and guesthouses remain vacant across the region.
“Tourism makes up half of Ladakh’ s GDP and by October, we usually start receiving bookings for March and April of the following year,” Lechik said. “This year, not a single pre-booking has come through. In a few weeks, snowfall will cut off the region. If we can’t earn now, how will we survive the next six months?”
The digital news portal reported that internet services, suspended for 16 days after the September 24 killings, were restored late Thursday night following local protests though no formal notification was issued.
At the same time, the district administration has warned of strict action against those accused of spreading “fake news,” reflecting continued efforts to control the public narrative.
Community leaders and local residents argue that the situation is anything but normal. “Section 144 remains in place, prohibiting gatherings of more than five people. Schools may have reopened, but classrooms remain empty,” said Chering Dorje, co-chairman of the Leh Apex Body.
Taxi drivers, too, are feeling the brunt of the crisis. “Since September 24, not a single booking has come through. Around 6,000 drivers are sitting idle, with families struggling to survive,” said Thinles Namgyal, president of the Leh Taxi Union.
Adding to public frustration is the unresolved question of who ordered the firing that killed four civilians during a peaceful hunger strike led by environmental activist Sonam Wangchuk. While the Deputy Commissioner has tasked an SDM with investigating the incident, the Leh Apex Body has rejected the probe as biased and is demanding an independent judicial inquiry.
Despite repeated claims by authorities that calm has returned, the silence in Ladakh’ s streets, shuttered businesses, and jobless workers tell a different story one of economic despair, unanswered questions, and a community still waiting for justice.