I, like almost everybody, was not knowledgeable about Sonam Wangchuk until and unless I read about the model behind the famous Bollywood film “Three Idiots” – Somam Wangchuk that was characterized by Amir Khan who played the role of Phungsunk Wangdo in the movie that has the central theme as education with innovation. After watching this movie my mind propelled towards knowing about this great innovative and reformative personality who contributed a lot to the humanity in general and to the people of Ladakh in particular.

An engineer by profession he was endowed with tremendous knowledge of engineering science. The above-mentioned movie reflected that Amir Khan played the best role having guts of modernity and scientific spirit. At the same time, he played a role of an ideal student who is at once thinking out of box and not stickled to the conventional education system that makes the children bound to grades and marks hence putting the hidden potential to certain limits. Wangchuk came into the spotlight in 2009, when his story inspired Aamir Khan’s character Phunsukh Wangdu in the film 3-Idiots directed by Rajkumar Hirani. He has been referred as “The real life Phunsukh Wangdu”. Wangchuk has disavowed the comparison.

Before I go ahead with this write up, let me put down something from the biographical and professional accounts of Sonam Wangchuk here. Although, it will be very much imitation, if I imitate the details in length, I would, even though, record some of the details from his life history and try to draw a logical conclusion about what turned this innovative man into a prisoner.

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“Early life and education:

Wangchuk was born in 1966 in Alchi in the Leh district of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir (now in the Union Territory of Ladakh). He was not enrolled in a school until the age of 9, as there were no schools in his village. His mother taught him all the basics in his own mother tongue until that age. In 1975, his father, Sonam Wangyal was elected into the Jammu and Kashmir Government where he became a minister. At the age of 9, he was taken to Srinagar and enrolled in a school there. Since he looked different compared to the other students, he would get addressed in a language that he did not understand, due to which his lack of responsiveness was mistaken for him being stupid. He recalls this period as the darkest part of his life. Unable to bear the treatment, in 1977, he escaped alone to Delhi, where he pleaded his case to the school principal at Kendriya Vidyalay. Wangchuk completed his B.Tech. in Mechanical Engineering from National Institute of Technology Srinagar (then REC Srinagar) in 1987.Due to differences with his father over the choice of engineering stream, he had to finance his own education. He also went for two years of higher studies in Earthen Architecture at Craterre School of Architecture in Grenoble, France, in 2011.

Professional Career:

In 1988, after his graduation, Wangchuk (with his brother and five peers) started Students’ Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh (SECMOL). After experimenting with school reforms in government high school at Saspol, SECMOL launched Operation New Hope in collaboration with the government education department and the village population. From June 1993 until August 2005, Wangchuk also founded and worked as the editor of Ladakh’s only print magazine Ladags Melong In 2001. He was appointed to be an advisor for the education in the Hill Council Government.

In 2002, together with other NGO heads, he founded Ladakh Voluntary Network (LVN), a network of Ladakhi NGOs, and served in its executive committee as the secretary till 2005. He was appointed to the Drafting Committee of the Ladakh Hill Council Government’s Vision Document Ladakh 2025 and entrusted with the formulation of the policy on Education and Tourism in 2004. The document was formally launched by Manmohan Singh, the Prime Minister of India in 2005. In 2005, Wangchuk was appointed as a member in the National Governing Council for Elementary Education in the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India. From 2007 to 2010, he worked as an education advisor for MS, a Danish NGO working to support the Ministry of Education for education reforms.

In late 2013, Wangchuk invented and built a prototype of the Ice Stupa which is an artificial glacier that stores the wasting stream waters during the winters in the form of giant ice cones or stupas, and releases the water during late spring as they start melting, which is the perfect time when the farmers need water. He was appointed to the Jammu and Kashmir State Board of School Education in 2013. In 2014, he was appointed to the Expert panel for framing the J&K State Education Policy and Vision Document. Since 2015, Sonam has started working on establishing Himalayan Institute of Alternatives. He is concerned about how most of the Universities; especially those in the mountains have become irrelevant to realities of life. In 2016, Wangchuk initiated a project called Farm Stays Ladakh, which provides tourists to stay with local families of Ladakh, run by mothers and middle-aged women. The project was officially inaugurated by Chetsang Rinpoche on 18 June 2016.

Political Career:

In 2013, on repeated requests from students community of Ladakh, Wangchuk helped launch the New Ladakh Movement (NLM), a social campaign and Ladakh’s version of Green Party with the aim of working for sustainable education, environment and economy. It also aimed at uniting all local political leaders under one banner for the growth and development of Ladakh. Eventually, the members decided to make it into a non-political social movement.

Boycott of Chinese products: In June 2020, in response to the India-China border skirmishes, Sonam Wangchuk appealed to Indians to use “wallet power” and boycott Chinese products. This appeal was covered by major media houses and supported by various celebrities. On 26 January 2023, to highlight the effects of climate change on the fragile ecosystem of Ladakh and to demand its protection under the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution, Wangchuk attempted to go on a fast at the Khardungla pass. However, the authorities allegedly prevented him from going to Khardungla by putting him under house arrest, restricting his movement, as well as restricting people from visiting him. The police denied the charges, stating that he had not been given permission to enter Khardung La pass, citing temperatures being unsuitable for the fast, at less than -40°C. In March 2024, he started a fast-unto-death to press for his demand for constitutional safeguards for the Union Territory and protection of Ladakh from industrial and mining lobbies. Additionally, he began a 21-day Climate Fast hunger strike for giving statehood to Union Territory Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule. On 30 September 2024, during his walk by foot from Ladakh to Delhi for their demands, Wangchuk and his supporters were detained by Delhi Police at the Singhu border and were released on 2 October 2024. In Delhi, they announced that they would go on an indefinite hunger strike if they would not be allowed to meet either Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President Droupadi Murmu or Union Home Minister Amit Shah to address their demand of including Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution of India.

On 26 September 2025, Wangchuk was arrested in Ladakh, under the National Security Act and shifted to Jodhpur Jail, following statehood protests, on charges of inciting mob violence with provocative statements.

Despite the world level popularity and fame reflected by the awards and honors including 2018 Ramon Magsaysay Award, Honorary D. Litt by Symbiosis International School, Eminent Technologist of the Himalayan Region by IIT Mandi, 2017-Indians for Collective Action (ICA) Honor Award, San Francisco, GQ Men of the Year Awards, Social Entrepreneur of the Year, Global Award for Sustainable Architecture, State Award for outstanding environmentalist by J&K Govt.2016-Rolex Award for Enterprise, International Terra Award for best earth building. UNESCO Chair Earthen Architecture, by CRATerre France, 2008- Real Heroes Award by CNN-IBN TV, 2004- The Green Teacher Award by Sanctuary Asia, 2002-Ashoka Fellowship for Social Entrepreneurship, by Ashoka USA, 2001-Man of the Year by The Week, 1996-Governor’s Medal for educational reform in Jammu and Kashmir by the grateful world in terms of bestowing him with the above mentioned  awards what turned him into an anti-national figure.

It is only the commitment to the people of Ladakh and the people of the country that made him think in terms of becoming the voice of the unheard people who since the ages have been neglected on the pretext that the region is naturally cut off from rest of the world and can’t be done too much about it. The question arises in the mind of every lay man like me that why such an intellectual was compelled to think so and which ultimately resulted in his imprisonment that too under the Nation Safety Act (NSA) which is meant for the criminals of anti-national security degree like Terrorists and Armed rebels. Instead of putting him behind the bars he might have been given a patient hearing by both the govt. of Ladakh and the govt. of India.

The most rash type social medial figures like Major Gorav Ariya (Retd. Army Major) who often talks about the current political situations like cross border terrorism sponsored by Pakistan and Bangladesh etc. The person who often targets Pakistan for her cheap policies on govt level and Aristocracy shown by Pak. Army hence disfiguring the Democracy of Pakistan is now speaking in favour of Sonam Wangchuk. Not only the Major, but another Retd. Army Officer- General Bakshi is seen speaking in support of Sonam Wangchuk. Besides, all the moderate and extremist type politicians speak in favour of him. 

His entire life account is void of any such activity that could amount to any punishment of such an intense degree for the clashes between public and police on 25 September when the youth of Leh allegedly became violent, pelted stones on police personals, tried to damage the public property and burnt down to ashes the BJP office Leh. To conclude this write up let me put down that govt. must reconsider the punishment given to such a personality who has been a source of motivation and inspiration to the whole nation and the people of Ladakh. The demands that he had kept before the Indian Govt. must be given a due consideration as he has contributed to such an extent that he deserves the honor and prestige instead of imprisonment.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Voice of Ladakh or its editorial team.