'Like Father, Like Son': 42 Years Ago, Indira Gandhi Met Sonam Wangchuk's Father, Sonam Wangyal, After He Went on a Hunger Strike Demanding ST Status for the People of Ladakh

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WITH CLIMATE ACTIVIST SONAM WANGCHUK’s indefinite hunger strike entering its 20th day on July 17, 2026, an old incident involving Wangchuk’s father, Sonam Wangyal, has resurfaced on the internet. A similar method of non-violent resistance was once launched by Sonam Wangchuk’s father in 1984 during the tenure of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. The incident was recalled by senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, who reportedly requested her fellow Congress members to extend their support to Sonam Wangchuk.

The renowned engineer and innovator began his hunger strike at Delhi's Jantar Mantar as part of a protest organised by the newly formed Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET paper leak. In a case of history repeating itself, more than 40 years ago, his father had embarked on a similar path, demanding Scheduled Tribe (ST) status for the people of Ladakh.

See Also: Sonam Wangchuk Backs Cockroach Janta Party, Set to Join Jantar Mantar Protest on June 6

Who Was Sonam Wangchuk’s Father, Sonam Wangyal?

Sonam Wangyal was one of Ladakh's most prominent politicians and served as a Cabinet Minister in the Jammu and Kashmir government during the 1970s. According to media reports, Wangyal, a Congress MLA, went on a hunger strike demanding Ladakh’s constitutional identity. According to Moneycontrol, he was one of the few Ladakhi leaders who held a position of power in the 1970s. His most significant contribution was his demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status for the people of Ladakh.

According to various reports, Sonam Wangyal went on a hunger strike twice during his political career for the upliftment of the people of Ladakh. In 1984, Wangyal launched an indefinite hunger strike, a path his son would follow 42 years later.

Reports suggest that Indira Gandhi flew to Leh, Ladakh, and assured Wangyal that his demand would be considered. However, Indira Gandhi was assassinated on October 31, 1984, by her bodyguards, Satwant Singh and Beant Singh, in New Delhi. 

See Also: The Meme That Became a Movement: Inside India’s Cockroach Janta Party

Four years later, Ladakh was granted Scheduled Tribe (ST) status under the government of Rajiv Gandhi in 1989.

On Father’s footsteps: Sonam Wangchuk Continues his Hunger Strike

Wangyal’s son, Sonam Wangchuk, has been widely acclaimed for his work in improving Ladakh's education system. He was the founding director of the Students' Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh (SECMOL). The SECMOL campus is widely known for using solar power and requires no electricity from the grid. During his younger days, his father's political career also influenced his life. Wangchuk did not attend a regular school until the age of nine, as there were no educational facilities in his village, Alchi, in Leh district, Ladakh.

Decades later, Sonam Wangchuk is on an indefinite hunger strike at Jantar Mantar in Delhi. While the internet remains divided over his father’s political history and affiliation with the Congress, several users and influential figures have extended their support to Wangchuk.

(Edited by Harsh Pandey)

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