On August 26, 2024, at 11:22 AM, Home Minister Amit Shah announced on social media platform X that five new districts — Zanskar, Drass, Sham, Nubra, and Changthang — would be created in Ladakh.

As soon as the news was shared, celebrations began across Ladakh. The people in these areas, who had been asking for district status for a long time, were very happy, hoping this decision would bring them relief.

Ladakh had been divided into two districts, Leh and Kargil, in 1979, mainly based o...