Sonam Wangyal went on hunger strike for the rights of the people of Ladakh almost 42 years ago. Then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi herself went to Leh and spoke to him and broke the fast. Four decades later, his son Sonam Wangchuk is now walking the same path. He has been on hunger strike for the past 20 days demanding reforms in the education system and the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Doctors said he could lose his limb at any moment. There is a lot of talk about old history in Congress. According to sources, Sonia Gandhi has sent a message to top party leaders to remind them of the 1984 incident and stand by the movement.
Sonam Wangchuk’s father Sonam Wangyal was a well-known political leader in Jammu and Kashmir at that time. He was a member of the Legislative Assembly from 1957 to 1967 and later became an MLA and minister. In 1984, he started a five-day fast to demand Scheduled Tribe status and reservation for various ethnic groups in Ladakh. Realizing the gravity of the situation, the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi herself visited Leh and met him and assured that the demands would be considered. Wangyal later withdrew his hunger strike. In 1989, eight ethnic groups of Ladakh were recognized as Scheduled Tribes. Sonam Wangyal passed away
Although she did not enter active politics like her father, Sonam Wangchuk has always spoken out for education, the environment and the rights of Ladakh. He has now become the main face of the ongoing movement at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar. His hunger strike, which began on June 28, reached 20 days on Friday. He demanded the resignation of the Union Education Minister and accountability in the education system. According to the doctors, she has already lost more than 9 kg and is undergoing regular medical check ups as directed by the Delhi High Court.
Congress initially did not comment publicly after the hunger strike started but later party general secretaries KC Benugopal and Pawan Khera supported him. Referring to Indira Gandhi’s visit to Leh in 1984, Sonia Gandhi said it was a democratic responsibility for the government to talk to the hunger strikers. Meanwhile, Sonam Wangchuk has not changed her mind despite the pleas of many prominent personalities to break her fast. He announced that he would continue his hunger strike in the lead-up to the July parliamentary campaign.