Sonam Wangchuk breaks 21-day fast, pledges to continue fight for Ladakh's rights

Noted climate activist and education reformer Sonam Wangchuk concluded his 21-day hunger strike, during which he survived solely on salt and water. His protest aimed to advocate for statehood for Ladakh and the preservation of the delicate Himalayan environment. Despite ending his hunger strike, Wangchuk emphasized that his advocacy will persist.

"I will continue to fight for constitutional safeguards for Ladakh and people's political rights," Wangchuk said. As Sonam Wangchuk concluded his hunger strike, thousands gathered across the Union Territory in support. Women's groups have announced plans to initiate a hunger strike to advocate for the same demands. When Wangchuk began his fast on March 6, the education reformer, whose life inspired the character Phunsukh Wangdu in the film '3 Idiots,' stated that it would last for 21 days and could potentially be extended until death.

Earlier on Tuesday, Sonam Wangchuk urged the Union government to "demonstrate courage" and address the demands of the people of Ladakh. In a video shared on X, he highlighted that despite temperatures plummeting to -10 degrees Celsius, 350 individuals had joined him in the hunger strike, emphasizing their determination.

 "We are trying to remind and awaken the consciousness of our Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah to safeguard the fragile ecosystem of the Himalayan mountains in Ladakh and the unique indigenous tribal cultures that thrive here," the activist said in the video. 

"We do not want to think of PM Modi and Amit Shah ji as just politicians, we would rather like to think of them as statesmen but, for that, they will have to show some character and farsightedness," he added.

Following the revocation of Article 370, which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh was established as a separate Union Territory on August 5, 2019. Earlier this year, significant protests and hunger strikes emerged in the Union Territory after leaders from Buddhist-majority Leh and Muslim-majority Kargil united under the Apex Body of Leh and the Kargil Democratic Alliance. They demanded statehood and advocated for the protection of the rights of the region's predominantly tribal population under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.

The Central government formed a high-level committee to address the demands, but despite several meetings with representatives of the protesters, no significant progress was made. On March 4, leaders from the Union Territory met with Home Minister Amit Shah, who reportedly declined to meet their demands. Following this, Sonam Wangchuk commenced his hunger strike in Leh two days later.