Covid or China ⁠— which is the bigger threat? People in Leh struggle due to both

Shops in Leh now operate in rotation due to rising Covid cases, but the mountain region is also tense due to the stand-off between India & China.

Following a rotation system, only a few shops are opening in Leh Market | Photo: Sajid Ali | ThePrint

Leh: The district of Leh recorded its first coronavirus case on 7 March after two pilgrims from Iran tested positive. After that, local administration mobilised its tracking and testing measures to contain the pandemic.

However, after more stranded passengers started reaching Leh, the district saw a surge in positive cases. As of 22 June, there were 847 reported cases in the Union Territory of Ladakh, of which 557 are in Kargil and 153 in Leh. Due to rising numbers, the Leh district administration swung into action and announced both a lockdown and a rotation system for shops to keep their limited business going.

Amid all this, Chinese incursions occurred at multiple places in Sikkim and Ladakh since early May. While the intrusion in Naku La was settled mutually by the Indian Army and the Chinese PLA (People’s Liberation Army), the stand-off in Ladakh took a deadly turn when 20 Indian soldiers, including a colonel, were killed during a violent face-off in the Galwan Valley region on the night of 15 June. The constant clashes has seen a massive build-up of troops by both sides around the Galwan Valley, Hot Springs and Pangong Lake areas. This has only added to the troubles of Ladakh’s people.

ThePrint journalists Sajid Ali and Sravasti Dasgupta, who are currently in Leh, show us glimpses of what life looks like in the Union Territory now.

There is a limited vehicular movement in Leh at the moment, as Covid cases are on the rise in the district | Sajid Ali | ThePrint

A torn pheran (the purple garment) and broken chandeliers hang in front of a shop in Leh. This is a common sight as many shopkeepers have continued to keep their establishments shut | Sajid Ali | ThePrint

Thinlas Chron, 35, sells vegetables in Leh Market but doesn’t see as many customers everyday | Sajid Ali | ThePrint

People visiting Leh’s famed monasteries have to follow strict rules about hygiene and physical distancing. Masks are mandatory for all and photography is prohibited inside | Sajid Ali | ThePrint

Places of worship across the district wear a forlorn, lonely look | Sajid Ali | ThePrint

Mohammad Ali, 55, repairs watches in Leh’s Moti Market. “Corona can be cured, but lost lands to China cannot be reclaimed,” he says | Sajid Ali | ThePrint

Moti Market, which is usually bustling with customers and shopkeepers, is now deserted | Sajid Ali | ThePrint

Tsering Lhamo, who sells porcelain crockery and cutlery, has made her peace with the steep fall in business. “Tuesdays and Saturdays are not enough but something is better than nothing,” she says of the rotation system | Sajid Ali | ThePrint

Dr Nordan Otzer, 38, from Nubra Valley, says that the real enemy is neither India nor China, but the terrain and weather around LAC | Sajid Ali | ThePrint