'Sonam Wangchuk Will Bounce Back': Friends Share the Legacy of Ladakh’s Hero

'There wasn’t a single turning point that pushed him into activism,' said Sonam Wangchuk's friend of 21 years.

Sonam Wangchuk has been, for years, the face of an ongoing movement in Ladakh where people are up in arms against New Delhi for discarding their demands of land and job rights.

(Photo: Aroop Mishra/ The Quint)

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Sonam Wangchuk first entered the larger public consciousness in 2009 as the 'real Phunsuk Wangdu,' or the inspiration behind the eccentric yet brilliant protagonist of the hit Bollywood film 3 Idiots.

But long before he captured the filmmakers’ imagination (and for years after the character lost its shine), Wangchuk has been quietly and consistently working for the people and environment of Ladakh, emerging as a champion of their causes.

Now, he is back in the news after being detained on 24 September under the stringent National Security Act (NSA), following alleged clashes between security forces and protesters in Leh.

Wangchuk has long been at the forefront of the non-violent Ladakh statehood movement, which has been simmering for the past three years. The movement gained momentum on 10 September, when, after several failed peaceful protests, he launched a 35-day hunger strike.

Climate activist. Innovator. Leader. Anti-national. Security threat. In the past few days, he has been given many labels by social media and the press. But who is Sonam Wangchuk, really?

Wangchuk, who is also referred to as the "real-life Phunsukh Wangdu - the character played by Aamir Khan in the film 3 Idiots, appeal to PM Modi to participate in talks on Ladakh. 

(Photo: Video screenshot) 

An Innovator and Educationist

Decades before he took on the Ladakh statehood movement, Wangchuk was known in the region as something of a local legend, the eccentric innovator with groundbreaking ideas for transforming education with his unconventional teaching methods, much like the character he later inspired.

After earning his Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from the National Institute of Technology Srinagar in 1988, he founded the Students’ Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh (SECMOL) in Leh, initially aimed at breaking the mould of the government school system.

Over time, it evolved into a nearly self-sustaining eco-village where students, staff, and volunteers live, work, and learn together.

The school attracted significant attention across Ladakh. People throughout the Union Territory knew of Sonam Wangchuk, even if they hadn’t met him, and his name drew students from all over the region to SECMOL. One such student was Lobzang Dadul.

Now 37, Dadul recalls how he travelled 160 kms from his home village of Phobrang near Pangong Lake to study at SECMOL. He was there for just a year (Grade 10), but, he says, "The school taught me the real meaning of life, and had a profound impact on me."

After graduating, Dadul returned to volunteer at the school to 'give back', a sentiment shared by many former students. He later worked as Wangchuk’s personal assistant for five years, supporting him on various projects.

Speaking to The Quint, he says, "He (Wangchuk) always mingles with students, eats with them, and never sets himself apart as an authority figure, rather an equal to the students."

"He often said there should be no hierarchy between students and teachers. He is also very generous with his knowledge. He is constantly teaching, sharing, and giving without holding back."

Lobzang Dadul

Solar heated military tents made for soldiers deployed in the Galwan Valley. The tents are able to maintain a temperature of 15 Degree C at Min outside temperature of-14 C.

(Photo Source: X/@Wangchuk66)

Its along the same principles that Wangchuk started his second big education initiative, a non-profit called HIAL (Himalayan Institute of Alternatives, Ladakh) in 2018.

A unique feature of HIAL is its specialised courses on climate-conscious innovation, and unconventional research projects such as passive solar-heated houses that maintain 20°C indoors even in –20°C weather, high-altitude biogas digesters, and hydroelectric storage batteries.

This was the same year Wangchuk won the Ramon Magsaysay Award, regarded as the Asian version of the Nobel Prize, for his unique education system that involved the community and improved opportunities for young people in Ladakh to foster local growth.

Since 24 September, both institutes have come under government scrutiny, with the Centre moving to cancel their licenses under the FCRA [Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010], citing alleged violations.

However, Wangchuk’s team, including his wife, have vehemently denied the allegations, calling them 'baseless' and a 'witch-hunt' against him.

"HIAL has not received any donations. FCRA is required for donations. HIAL is an institute whose research was bought by international universities. That is an income, not a donation. It is the export of services. This is not something to be ashamed of. All these documents, financial and legal, have been given to the CBI [Central Bureau of Investigation] and the Income Tax Department. When the CBI came to us, it was not a raid but a fact-finding exercise. They had accepted that there were no violations there."

Gitanjali Angmo Wangchuk

A Climate Activist

Wangchuk is perhaps best known for his climate activism. For decades, he has been vocal about the impact of climate change and extreme heat on the Himalayas. Many of his innovations, whether the famous ice stupa (a glacier grafting technique used for storing winter water) or the numerous solar energy projects, are aimed at mitigating the effects of the climate crisis in the region.

Ask Wangchuk himself, and he'd simply say, "I'm an environmentalist."

Speaking to the Quint, Dilip Jain, his close friend and helping hand of 21 years, says, "There wasn’t a single turning point that pushed him into activism."

Reminiscing about his first meeting with Wangchuk in 2004, Jain says he was in the final year of his MBA and had visited Ladakh as part of the mandatory two-month social project required by his course.

"I didn’t know who Sonam was back then. But I happened to meet him there (in Leh) and spend time at SECMOL, and that’s where our friendship began."

Dilip Jain

This friendship, he goes on to say, kept him closely working on several climate projects and initiatives started by Wangchuk for decades to come.

"People often make token gestures like planting a few trees and feel satisfied. But Sonam has always been a long-term thinker. He understood that isolated solutions aren’t enough, and that real change needs shifting the political narrative through people’s movements," says Jain.

Dilip Jain with Sonam Wangchuk.

(Photo Source: Dilip Jain)

"He knows that ice stupas alone won’t solve the crisis. Instead, they are a way to capture attention, spark dialogue, and bring the larger issue into the spotlight. He has carried out similar acts of activism on smaller, local scales several times before. "

Dilip Jain

Speaking to The Quint in 2024 during his march from Leh to Delhi, accompanied by several supporters to press for Ladakh’s longstanding demands of statehood and protections under the Sixth Schedule, Wangchuk explained how this fight too ultimately advances the larger goal of protecting Ladakh from environmental degradation.

"The Sixth Schedule is a provision in which indigenous people are given the powers to manage their own areas. Promises of the Sixth Schedule were made in manifestos during the 2019 and 2020 elections in Ladakh. These (protests) are reminders to fulfil the promises that were made... I am an environmentalist, so I was concerned about safeguarding the fragile environment of Ladakh. Ladakh may become an open playing field for mining, industries... When we finally face the impact of their actions in the form of disasters like landslides and floods, the government has to take care of the damage using our tax money. What kind of a model is this?" he had said.

"Now, the government must recognise the fact that the Himalayas cannot sustain development in the same way as Lucknow or Punjab. It's way more sensitive here... The Sixth Schedule is not anti-development; it is not against progress. It simply says that local people should be consulted before any decision is made."

Sonam Wangchuk

A Threat to National Security?

On 24 September, Wangchuk, along with 50 others, was detained by Ladakh police and booked for allegedly inciting violence through his speech. He has been held in Jodhpur Central Jail since.

Wangchuk’s detention sparked widespread criticism, with activists and local leaders calling it a politically motivated move to suppress the growing movement.

Speaking at a press conference in Delhi on 30 September, political activist Yogendra Yadav said, "They have no evidence that he instigated violence. This is precisely why they invoked the NSA, because there is no evidence, and under the Act, they don’t need to provide any to make an arrest."

On the same day, media reports emerged that the Central government had cancelled the land allotments granted to HIAL and SECMOL.

Commenting on this, Jain expressed confidence that Wangchuk will bounce back from this setback "as he always does".

"He has always acted with integrity, leaving little room for fault-finding. They have nothing substantial against him, which is why we’re confident. At most, they might uncover minor technical lapses in documentation or paperwork, errors that could lead to small fines, but no fraud or corruption."

Dilip Jain

He also noted that, although Wangchuk is known for thinking long-term and pouring himself fully into his projects, he remains unattached to them, including the institutions he built from the ground up. "He is a firm believer of doing good with sincerity and integrity, then letting go."

The movement has brought together scores of people from all walks of life in Ladakh.

(Photo: Accessed by The Quint)

What Makes Sonam Wangchuk a Guiding Voice for so Many?

Students at SECMOL campus.

(Photo source: Instagram/@secmol_)

When asked why Sonam Wangchuk inspires such loyalty among the people of Ladakh and what drew Jain and Dadul to him, their responses are similar.

"Sonam is, above all, a master at understanding how to mobilise people into action," Jain puts it.

"He always led by example. If he taught us to buy fewer clothes and wear natural fabrics, he practiced it himself. If he told us to cycle instead of taking the car, he did the same. His lessons are not just words that he preaches, but his own way of life," Dadul adds.

According to Jain, the trust Wangchuk inspires comes from his character that people can clearly see. "He has a deeply good heart and a strong sense of responsibility toward both the people and environment of Ladakh. At the same time, he isn’t naive. His approach is efficient, strategic, and always forward-looking, a rare combination that sometimes throws people off."

Dilip goes on to say that Wangchuk is often called the "plus-one strategist".

"If something needs to be done at the state level, then he would have a national play. If something has to be done at the national level, he would have a global play," he explains.

"Wangchuk’s work may start small, but it resonates widely. Through his talks and social media, people understand his intentions and trust his message. Even politicians rarely achieve such a local impact with such broad influence."

Dilip Jain

"Take the Ladakh movement, for instance. It’s a local cause driven by the people of Ladakh but is also inspiring movements across India, even when the geographical contexts are different. The fight has been peaceful for years and will continue for as long as necessary," he concludes.