Sonam Wangchuk’s shift: From applauded innovator to detained dissenter

For much of the past three decades, Sonam Wangchuk was known as an innovator, education reformer, and climate activist whose inventions, from Ladakh’s solar-powered campuses to the iconic “ice stupas,” drew global acclaim.

His grassroots solutions to Ladakh’s fragile ecology won him the Ramon Magsaysay Award in 2018, while his work in education reform through SECMOL (Students’ Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh) made him a household name across the Himalayas.

Born in 1966 in Leh, Wangchuk’s early struggles with education shaped his life’s work. A trained mechanical engineer, he turned his attention to Ladakh’s schools, launching SECMOL in the 1990s and working with the government on reforms under “Operation New Hope.”

His reputation soared in 2013 when he devised ice stupas, artificial glaciers that helped farmers cope with summer water scarcity. His green campus, powered entirely by solar energy, embodied his philosophy of innovation rooted in ecology.

In 2019, Wangchuk welcomed the Centre’s move to grant Union Territory status to Ladakh after the abrogation of Article 370, calling it the fulfilment of a “longstanding dream.” For many, he was not only a problem-solver but also a hero who had given Ladakh a voice.

The relationship with Delhi, however, soon began to sour. His focus widened from climate challenges to political demands, including constitutional safeguards under the Sixth Schedule to protect Ladakh’s environment, jobs, and cultural identity. When authorities stopped his peaceful fasts, including one at Khardung La in 2023, Wangchuk declared publicly that Ladakh had been better off as part of Jammu and Kashmir.

That statement marked a turning point. The Centre began to tighten the screws: canceling land allotted to his Himalayan Institute of Alternatives, launching CBI probes, and eventually revoking its FCRA license. Yet Wangchuk did not bend. His fasts continued to draw national attention, the latest one aimed at pushing talks between Ladakh’s leadership and the Centre.

The protest took a tragic turn when a section of youths broke away and violence erupted, leaving four protesters dead in police firing. Authorities accused Wangchuk of provoking unrest, and on Friday, he was arrested under the NSA.

Apprehending his detention, Wangchuk had said he was ready for jail but warned, “A Wangchuk in jail may cause more problems than a free Sonam Wangchuk.”

From celebrated innovator to Ladakh’s most prominent dissenter, Wangchuk now stands at the centre of the region’s struggle, embodying both its aspirations and its growing confrontation with New Delhi.