Ladakh may be one of India’s smallest territories in terms of population size, but it is generating a political headache for Narendra Modi as his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) seeks a third term in office.

Situated in the Himalayan mountain range on the border with China and Pakistan, Ladakh is currently witnessing a strong popular movement against both a sense of political marginalization and the development policies emanating from the Union government in New Delhi.

The protests are taking place in a region that occupies an important geostrategic position despite its small population. It demonstrates some of the challenges that the BJP faces in trying to push through its project across a huge country composed of many different regional and ethnic communities.