New Delhi: Ladakh’s Sonam Wangchuk shot to national fame, with his reel-life portrayal as Phunsuk Wangaroo of Aamir Khan’s movie 3 Idiots, is on five-day fasting in sub-zero temperatures of Ladakh. The celebrated engineer-innovator began his five-day fasting protest on January 26, claiming that all is not well in the Union Territory.
Sonam Wangchuk was the inspiration behind Aamir’s 2009 blockbuster 3 Idiots. Being the Magsasay award recipient and also country’s leading education reformist, he has more than 400 patents under his name.
Why Sonam Wangchuk is fasting in -40 degree?
Sonam Wangchuk launched his 5-day climate fast for saving the ecological balance of Ladakh. He says that rapid infrastructure & tourism activity is posing big risk to the sustenance of an ecologically sensitive region and will have irreparable consequences.
Sonam is worried about the consequences to topography of Ladakh, over the region ‘being open’ to big investors in tourism, without any compliance. He believes that slew of projects to boost tourism in the region may have collateral damage to its climate & ecology and hence, government must step in to control the damages, before it happens.
Though Wangchuk is an ardent support of incumbent BJP regime, he says that post the abrogation of Article 370 and Article 35 (A) in Jammu and Kashmir, Centre had promised special status for Ladakh but nothing of that sort happened.
“Three years have passed by, and we have not got any protection. We hear reports that big industry players are looking to take land for the tourism industry and infrastructure projects. Imagine if it is left open for everyone, there will be heavy mining industries, and then much worse can happen,” a daily quoted Wangchuk as saying.
He says the development projects will have everlasting impact on just Ladakh but also in plain areas, as the Himalayan glaciers are major source of water for rivers in plains.
Allowing big players to disturb Ladakh’s topography without any control & compliance will make the whole plain area suffer, says Sonam.
He has also appealed to fellow residents of Ladakh to show solidarity by joining a day-long fasting with him.
GOOD MORNING WORLD!
4th day of my #ClimateFast to #SaveLadakh under #6thSchedule of Indian constitution.
You all can join me tomorrow 30th Jan, last day of my fast. You can organise a 1 day fast in your area in solidarity with #Ladakh & ur own surroundings#climate #ILiveSimply pic.twitter.com/tCBDqeB0Rv— Sonam Wangchuk (@Wangchuk66) January 29, 2023
Sonam Wangchuk is known the world over for his state-of-the art school – Students’ Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh (SECMOL). The school doesn’t use fossil fuel and runs completely on solar energy.
