Sonam Wangchuk, an Indian engineer, scientist, and education reformer has been on a fast since January 26, 2023. He had previously stated that he would sit on a five-day climate fast at the 18,000-foot-high Khardungla Pass when it is -40°C. He added that he was fasting from HIAL since the routes to Khardungla were blocked by the recent snowfall. Wangchuk is a local icon and celebrity of Ladakh, the place he was born and raised in. He is the founding director of the Students' Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh (SECMOL), which was founded in 1988 by a group of students who had been in his own words, the 'victims' of an alien education system foisted on Ladakh.


Who is Sonam Wangchuk?


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Sonam Wangchuk is a mechanical engineer who was born in 1966 and serves as the director of the Himalayan Institute of Alternatives in Ladakh (HIAL). He was shifted to Srinagar when he was 9 years old and was enrolled in a local school. Since he looked different compared to the other students, he would get addressed in a language that he did not understand, due to which his lack of responsiveness was mistaken for him being stupid. He recalls that period as the darkest part of his life.  


He is best known as the inspiration behind Aamir Khan’s character in 3 Idiots Phunsukh Wangadu. He is also renowned for creating the solar-powered SECMOL campus, which requires no fossil fuels for heating, lighting, or cooking.  In late 2013, Wangchuk invented and built a prototype of the Ice Stupa which is an artificial glacier that stores the wasting stream waters during the winter in the form of giant ice cones or stupas, and releases the water during late spring as they start melting, which is the perfect time when the farmers need water. In 2021, he also invented an eco-friendly solar-heated tent that Army personnel can use in extremely cold places like Siachen and Galwan valley in the Ladakh region. In November 2022, he was awarded the seventh Dr. Paulos Mar Gregorios Award by former Vice President Venkaiah Naidu.  He received Magsaysay Award in the year 2018. 


Why is Sonam Wangchuk Protesting?


Wangchuk contacted PM, Modi, with an SOS on January 23. As "everything is not well in Ladakh," he pleaded with the prime minister to take action. He posted a video on his social media platform, he explained, "Ladakh, also known as the "third pole" of the earth, is dealing with serious issues as he mentions the 6th Schedule and protests related to it. To promote total economic development and decision-making autonomy, locals have been calling for the inclusion of Ladakh under the 6th Schedule. The topic has also previously been brought up in Parliament."



In the 13-minute long video, Wangchuks said the people of Ladakh are baffled as to why the government has not heeded their 70-year-old desire for a union area. Sonam Wangchuk is also demanding Ladakh be included in the Sixth Schedule of the Indian constitution, which grants autonomy to regions with a high tribal population. Wangchuk is also protesting against illegal and environmentally harmful activities taking place in Leh and Ladakh in the name of development.



Sonam Wangchuk organized a 5-day climate fast from January 26 to January 30. He wanted to go on a fast at the Khardungla Pass but was prevented by the Ladakh administration and put under house arrest. He is currently protesting from the Himalayan Institute of Alternatives, Ladakh (HIAL) campus.