Shivani
According to Congress sources, Sonia Gandhi supported extending backing to activist Sonam Wangchuk’s hunger strike. Her decision has brought attention to an important but lesser-known chapter of Ladakh’s political history. Sources said Sonia reminded party leaders about a similar incident from 1984. At that time, her mother-in-law and then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi travelled to Leh to meet Wangchuk’s father, Sonam Wangyal. He was on a hunger strike demanding Scheduled Tribe (ST) status for Ladakh. Indira Gandhi personally requested him to end his protest. Sonia’s support has now renewed public interest in that historic political moment once again.
During a Congress Parliamentary Party meeting before the Monsoon Session, some leaders were reportedly unsure about supporting Sonam Wangchuk’s protest. However, Sonia Gandhi backed the idea of extending support, according to sources. Soon after, Congress MP Pawan Khera visited Wangchuk at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on her instructions. He requested Wangchuk to end his hunger strike and assured him that the Congress party stood with him.
A 42-Year Journey of Peaceful Resistance From Father to Son
The episode has also highlighted an unusual father-son story spanning four decades. Separated by 42 years, Wangyal, a former Congress MLA, and Wangchuk both adopted Gandhian protest methods for different reasons. The father fought for Ladakh’s constitutional identity. The son campaigned for the region’s environment, constitutional protection, and now leads a movement demanding reforms in India’s examination system, while continuing his peaceful struggle through non-violent protests inspired by Mahatma Gandhi’s ideals and public participation for lasting change across Ladakh today.
In 1984, Wangyal began an indefinite hunger strike demanding Scheduled Tribe status for Ladakh. Prime Minister Indira Gandhi flew to Leh, met him, and promised the Centre would consider the demand, according to historical accounts. She was assassinated later that year before any decision. In 1989, the Rajiv Gandhi government finally granted Scheduled Tribe status to Ladakh’s major communities, fulfilling a long-standing demand after years of struggle and giving official recognition to these communities under the Scheduled Tribe category nationwide.
Ramon Magsaysay Award Winner With a Vision for Ladakh
Unlike his father, Wangchuk stayed away from electoral politics. An engineer, education reformer and Ramon Magsaysay Award winner, he earned global recognition for improving education in Ladakh and creating innovations like the Ice Stupa project, inspiring sustainable solutions for communities.
But he inherited one trait from his father: the belief that a hunger strike can be a powerful way to influence people. In 2024, Wangchuk observed a 21-day climate fast demanding Sixth Schedule status and other constitutional protections for Ladakh. He later led the Delhi Chalo march before being detained at the Singhu border. He is now on an indefinite hunger strike with the Cockroach Janta Party-led students’ movement, demanding Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation over alleged irregularities including.
The similarities are hard to ignore. The father went on a hunger strike to demand constitutional recognition for Ladakh. Years later, the son adopted the same peaceful method, first to protect Ladakh’s future and now to seek reforms across the country. While the father worked within the Congress party, the son has stayed away from politics. The Gandhi family has also shared ties with this family for three generations. More than forty years later, Sonia Gandhi’s support for Sonam Wangchuk’s protest has renewed Congress’ connection with the family under changed circumstances.