Sonam Wangchuk, often associated with Phunsukh Wangdu from 3 Idiots, is a prominent climate activist who walked 1,000 kilometers from Ladakh to New Delhi to raise awareness about climate issues in Ladakh.
Is this what the media told you?
But this is not the truth. We will tell the real story in this article.
Ladakh
With an area of 45,000 sq km, Ladakh is India’s largest and most sparsely populated region. It is also one of the least developed areas in the country. Meanwhile, China has built significant infrastructure in the Aksai Chin area.
Ladakh has huge potential for development, but it is also an ecologically important region.
June 2021: Hydropower Project
The Indian government announced eight hydropower projects on the Indus River in the Ladakh area, with a total capacity of 144 MW. The investment was around ₹3,500 crore.
2022: Geothermal Project
The Government of India announced the country’s first geothermal power plant at Puga, Ladakh. This unique power generation method involves drilling boreholes and using the Earth’s crust’s heat to generate electricity. It is a completely eco-friendly process.
In 2023, India partnered with Ireland for this project, as Ireland has expertise in geothermal energy. The project was awarded to ONGC, which started drilling in June 2024.
July 2023: Green Hydrogen Project
The Government of India launched a Green Hydrogen project in Ladakh, which was awarded to NTPC.
February 2023: Lithium Exploration
In February 2023, huge lithium reserves were discovered in the Jammu region. Some studies suggested that Ladakh might also have significant lithium reserves.
On 26 February 2023, a Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE) under the Ministry of Mines began lithium exploration in Ladakh.
1 February 2023: World’s Second Biggest Solar Power Plant
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that India would build the world’s second-largest solar power plant in Ladakh.
Ladakh is ideal for solar plants, as solar panels perform better in cold, dust-free environments.
In October 2023, the Union Cabinet approved a massive 13 GW solar power plant in Ladakh, which will supply electricity to Jammu & Kashmir, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and Delhi.
December 2023: Highway Projects
The Transport Ministry approved 29 highway projects in the Ladakh region.
Remember, Ladakh is a border area with China, which has built an extensive road network on the other side of the Line of Actual Control (LoAC).
If you’ve been reading carefully, you must have noticed that the Government of India is executing thousands of crores worth of projects in Ladakh, but all these projects are eco-friendly and green initiatives:
- Hydropower
- Solar Power
- Geothermal Power
- Green Hydrogen
And then comes the familiar narrative, one we’ve seen from the Narmada Dam to the Tuticorin project: the entry of a foreign-funded, Magsaysay award-winning activist.
So much development is happening in Ladakh, and someone wants to stop it.
Sonam Wangchuk began his first hunger strike on 26 January 2023. He staged another hunger strike in March 2024.
What are his demands?
- Stop all developmental projects in Ladakh.
- Include Ladakh in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.
The Sixth Schedule applies only to Northeast states and grants them autonomous powers, meaning that if the government wants to start any project there, it must first seek permission from the local body.
However, his hunger strike didn’t garner much response, so he changed his venue from Ladakh to Delhi, staging another dramatic protest with a 1,000-kilometer walk.
Now, he is in Delhi with his group of activists, demanding a halt to all infrastructure projects.
Let’s examine his logic:
He claims that if the government establishes a solar power plant in Ladakh, it will destroy the Pashmina craft of Ladakh, and India will lose foreign currency.
He also argues, “Why should our land be used to generate electricity for the air conditioners of Delhi?”
Interestingly, a few years ago, he himself was promoting solar power plants in Ladakh. You can find his YouTube video where he proudly says his entire campus runs on solar energy.
Perhaps, back then, he had not yet received instructions from foreign powers like China and the USA.
The real agenda behind Sonam Wangchuk’s protest seems to be halting all infrastructure projects in Ladakh, thereby giving an advantage to China in the region.
For more information about his background, funding sources, and American wife, please read our previous tread on twitter.
