As Sonam Wangchuk's protest enters 20th day, his father's 1984 fast that brought Indira Gandhi to Leh returns to focus
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "As Sonam Wangchuk's protest enters 20th day, his father's 1984 fast that brought Indira Gandhi to Leh returns to focus")
As Sonam Wangchuk's hunger strike enters its 20th day, attention has turned to his father Sonam Wangyal's 1984 fast, which prompted then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to intervene over Ladakh's Scheduled Tribe status demand.
As Sonam Wangchuk's fast at Jantar Mantar enters its 20th day, with several public figures and political parties, including the Congress, urging him to end the hunger strike, the ongoing protest has drawn attention to a similar agitation once led by his father that prompted then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to intervene.
The CJP's protest demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the recent NEET paper leak, leading to multiple aspirants committing suicide and wider concerns regarding the state of the education system in the country, has now entered its 28th day, with the July 20 "Sansad Chalo" march to Parliament emerging as the movement's next major mobilisation.
"I will stay alive by any means until July 20 so that I can march to Parliament with all of you. And if our march doesn't succeed on July 20, then I'll come back as a ghost," Wangchuk told supporters.
Meanwhile, the environmental activist's health has continued to decline, with more than 9 kg of weight lost since the fast began. According to a health update released on Thursday, the 59-year-old's blood pressure stood at 105/61 mmHg, blood sugar at 80 mg/dL, and oxygen saturation at 97%. Doctors said he remains conscious and mentally alert but requires continuous medical monitoring.
The Delhi High Court directed the Delhi government and the Centre to monitor his condition and ensure medical assistance if his health worsens.
CJP spokesperson Saurav Das also referred to the episode involving Indira Gandhi and Sonam Wangyal in a post on X. “The government must learn how to respond and accept accountability,” he wrote
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What happened in 1984
Sonam Wangyal, the father of activist Sonam Wangchuk, played a prominent role in Jammu and Kashmir politics for decades. He was a member of the Legislative Council from 1957 to 1967 before winning Assembly elections in 1967 and 1972 as a Congress leader. He later joined the Jammu and Kashmir Cabinet in 1975 and remained associated with both the Congress and the National Conference while campaigning for Scheduled Tribe status for Ladakh's communities.
His campaign reached a turning point in 1984 when he launched a five-day hunger strike, pressing the Centre to grant Scheduled Tribe status along with reservation benefits and other welfare measures for the region.
The protest drew the attention of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, who travelled to Leh and convinced Wangyal to call off the fast after assuring him that his demands would be addressed. However, she was assassinated later that year by her bodyguards following Operation Bluestar at the Golden Temple in Amritsar.
The promised action did not come immediately. It was only in 1989 that the President issued the Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir) Scheduled Tribes Order, extending Scheduled Tribe status to eight communities. During the course of the movement, Wangyal was expelled from the Congress in 1987 over what the party described as anti-party activities. He died in 1998.
