Leaving the main town square of Leh on the road to Kargil, as the last signs of human habitation is left behind in the roar of dust and diesel, it is hard not to notice the proliferation of migrants, many of whom are foot soldiers for the army’s development works. Buddhist Ladakhis are becoming a rarer breed though they still dominate the stunning landscape. “My wife and I stay for four months in Leh and move to Delhi when winter sets in.

The migrants who come from surrounding Kargil and Kashmir stay much longer. Migrants from Bihar & Punjab can’t take the weather ...