appConfigEntityId

bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

isVideo

articlePageQuery

article

articleSchemaContent

content

hooksArticlePageAdvertisementConfigArticle

hooksArticlePageFloatingButtonConfigArticle

appConfig

filter

json

liveArticle

Letters

Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words
I refer to “Curfew in India’s Ladakh as statehood protests turn deadly near China border” (September 24). As a recent visitor to Ladakh, I have seen up close the enormous challenges faced by the communities there: harsh terrain, extreme climate, limited connectivity and heavy reliance on military infrastructure.
In late September, local youth joined protests demanding statehood, an elected legislative assembly for Ladakh and for it to be included in the Sixth Schedule of the Indian constitution which grants greater autonomy to tribal-dominated regions to safeguard tribal identity, land rights and ecological sustainability.
Ladakh isn’t simply a remote tribal region; it is also a strategic frontier. Bordered as it is by China and Pakistan, the region has seen some notable confrontations, such as the Galwan clash between Indian and Chinese forces in 2020 and the Kargil conflict in 1999. These raise the stakes for India’s security and governance policies. Balancing local interests against national security is a policy conundrum.
The protests illustrate social media’s capacity to mobilise isolated communities. Digital platforms fill communication gaps, enabling young people to amplify their calls for justice and be heard nationally. Grass-roots movements in frontier regions are becoming digitally savvy players in local and national debates.
Beyond local grievances, Ladakh poses the more critical policy question: how can India reconcile harsh security requirements with inclusive, decentralised governance that respects the territory’s identity and autonomy? Using Ladakh simply as a militarised border zone risks alienating local communities and creating more distrust. But the strategic relevance of the region must not be ignored, and any policy response should promote both local welfare and national security.
Finally, the patterns of negotiation between autonomy demands, tribal identity and youth mobilisation in Ladakh provide important lessons for wider frontier governance, India’s dealings with its borderland populations and the way local agency and national strategy can cohabit.
In an era of constant geopolitical change, Ladakh serves as further evidence that security and community agency must exist in harmony. The failure to act on either risks undermining both local society and strategic interests. At this critical juncture, policymakers must come up with locally informed, strategically sound and subtle solutions that address acute grievances and assure long-term stability.
Ifrah Khalil Kawa, Master’s student, Nelson Mandela Centre For Peace and Conflict Resolution, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India
Court ruling on Harvard sent the right message
In mid-August, the University of Chicago announced that it would reduce or freeze admissions for several PhD programmes in the humanities. The university said the move was in response to financial pressures. The Trump administration’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act has led to cuts in some student loan programmes.
Nonetheless, in September, a US district court ruled that the Trump administration’s attempt to cut funding to Harvard University was unlawful. The court verdict carries significant implications for academic freedom, the rule of law and the limits of executive power.
Universities must be free to pursue research and education without fear of politically motivated interference, especially from the federal government. When funding decisions are tied to partisan disputes rather than merit or lawful criteria, academic integrity and innovation are jeopardised. The judgment sends a clear message that such actions will face rigorous judicial scrutiny.
Moreover, the ruling highlights the role of the judiciary in checking executive overreach. By invalidating the funding cut, the court has reaffirmed that no administration is above the law. This is particularly relevant in an era of deepening political polarisation, where governmental power is increasingly weaponised against perceived adversaries.
Internationally, this verdict may reassure academic and scientific communities that the US remains committed to protecting intellectual independence, despite occasional political turbulence. It also sets a precedent that could deter future attempts to use funding as leverage in ideological battles.
Recently, US President Donald Trump announced a US$500 million deal with Harvard. Regardless, the court’s decision is a victory not just for Harvard, but for all institutions valuing autonomy and the rule of law.
Yanna Xiang, Lu Wang and Dr Yuehai Xiao, Department of English, Hunan Normal University, China


China-based Brics bank set for lead role in hunger alliance this year, Brazil says

Why Pakistan’s endless war on militants fails to break the cycle

Thailand has had enough of foreign tourists behaving badly

India’s ‘cockroach’ movement targets election chief in political pivot

India

India’s Ladakh dilemma: how to balance security needs with local interests

Security personnel stand guard near closed shops as a girl enjoys a chocolate sitting on a pavement after curfew was partially relaxed for a few hours in Leh on September 27. Photo: AFP

How India’s small firms, young workers will bear brunt of tariff pain

A man walks past an advertisement of gold jewellery displayed on a wall in Chennai on August 25. The disruptions caused by the US tariffs go beyond reduced output, spreading into people losing their jobs, workplaces closing and a compounding effect across supply chains and service providers. Photo: AFP

Workers stitch denim shirts in a garment manufacturing unit on the outskirts of Ahmedabad, a Tier 2 city in India, on August 5. Nearly US$10 billion of India’s textile and apparel exports ended up in the US last year, accounting for nearly 30 per cent of the industry’s total trade. Photo: Reuters

Daily wage labourers wait for work in the morning of September 11, in Lucknow in India’s Uttar Pradesh state. Photo: AP

Why India would be strategically naive to count on the US’ favour

Members of a trade association holding posters of US President Donald Trump and other placards protest against the recent tariff hikes imposed by the US on India, in New Delhi on August 30. Photo: AFP

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (centre) talks to Russian President Vladimir Putin (left) and Chinese President Xi Jinping ahead of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit at the Meijiang Convention and Exhibition Centre in Tianjin on September 1. Photo: TNS

Opinion

Readers discuss the recent unrest in a Himalayan region, and the significance of the court verdict on the US president’s actions against Harvard University


Readers discuss the recent unrest in a Himalayan region, and the significance of the court verdict on the US president’s actions against Harvard University.


.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Readers discuss the recent unrest in a Himalayan region, and the significance of the court verdict on the US president’s actions against Harvard University

Readers discuss the recent unrest in a Himalayan region, and the significance of the court verdict on the US president’s actions against Harvard University