Authors: Umar Manzoor Shah
Abstract: This study examined how four newspapers based in Kashmir portrayed the Ladakh violence in response to the region's demand for inclusion in the 6th Schedule of the Indian Constitution and the conferment of statehood. The conflict commenced on September 24, 2025, between local protesters and law enforcement in Leh, Ladakh. The Buddhists and Muslims in this region have collaboratively established an organisation advocating for Ladakh's elevation from a Union Territory to a full state, as well as the implementation of the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution to safeguard their environment, land, and employment opportunities. Discussions between the Government of India and local leadership have persisted for several years; however, these negotiations reached an impasse on September 24 due to violence. Four citizens were fatally shot via police gunfire, and over 100 sustained injuries as the crowd escalated into violence during a protest demonstration in Leh's major market. The regime instituted a curfew and arrested environmentalist Sonam Wanchuk, a prominent advocate for the cause. A content analysis of four newspapers based in Kashmir was done to ascertain the overall pattern of coverage and the degree and existence of framing regarding this subject. The analysis encompassed the frame utilised, tonal variations and article count regarding the situation in Ladakh. One hundred seventy newspaper articles were extracted from archives and examined from September 1, 2025, to October 5, 2025. The study revealed that law and order frames were utilised more frequently than political and human frameworks. The coverage in regional newspapers of Kashmir was predominantly pro-government. The findings indicate a significant application of law and order, as well as administrative frameworks, in the reporting of violence and its aftermath.
DOI: http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18045860
