Exclusive: Sonam Wangchuk, inspiration for '3 Idiots', to sit on five-day 'climate fast' from Jan 26

Ladakh, the cold desert of India, hidden in the lap of the Himalayas, has once again become a heated topic of discussion among environmentalists, climate enthusiasts and citizens after activist, innovator and engineer Sonam Wangchuk announced that he will be sitting on a five-day climate fast at the Khardung La Passfrom January 26to appeal the government to provide safeguard to the eco-fragile region.

The scientist-activist who inspired the Bollywood movie 3 idiots' fictional character Phunsukh Wangdu narrated to the world the dire environmental concerns Ladakh is facing and called on the government to fulfil thepromise of including the Union territory in the Constitution's Sixth Schedule.

The Sixth Schedule that falls under Article 244 gives the provision for the formation of Autonomous District Councils (ADCs), which enjoy some administrative, judicial and legislative autonomy in the state. Almost 30 members constitute these ADCs and serve a tenure of five years during which they are free to make rules, laws and regulations regarding agriculture, water, forest, health, sanitation, land, village councils, social customs, marriage and divorce, inheritance, town- and village-level policing, mining, etc.

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Wangchuk shared a video, "All is not well in Ladakh. Ladakh ki mann ki baat," in which he said that he will camp at Khardung La Pass, which is 18,000 feet above sea level and where the temperature isminus 40°Celsius.

Speaking to WION about the climate fast, Wangchuk said, "The first reason why I am sitting on the five-day climate fast is to appeal for Ladakh's inclusion in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, and the second reason is that our glaciers and environment cannot be only protected by the government alone and so I appeal the people of India, and in fact the world, to join me and take the pledge to change their lifestyle because the emissions which we are causing is melting the Himalayan glaciers at a rapid speed and we face the fear of very little being left by the end of the century."

"I am appealing to the people of India, especially youth, to join me on January 26 in keeping one-day fast in solidarity with the Himalayas and the glaciers and I want one million people to pledge on that day to change their lifestyles while I sit for five days at 18,000 feet," he told WION, hoping to bring the world's attention to Ladakh and its fragile ecology.

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Ladakh and its need for inclusion in Constitution's Sixth Schedule

In the 13-minute video shared by Wangchuk, the scientist had emphasised the need to save glaciers from industrial exploitation and in doing so, had reiterated the demands of locals living in Ladakh to include the Union territory in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution to safeguard its ecosystem and environment and appealed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene in the issue.

He had underlined the fact that over 95 per cent of the population in Ladakh is tribal, which makes it eligible for inclusion in the sixth schedule. In the video, he states how the locals had presumed that Ladakh would be included in the Sixth Schedule after Article 370 was abrogated by the Indian government in 2019 and the government promised to ensure that the demand for the Sixth Schedule will be fulfilled.

"I am only appealing to the government to keep their promise. They must have seen all the hurdles when they announced that Ladakh will be considered under the Sixth Schedule. Law ministry, home ministry, and tribal ministry, all had proposed that Ladakh should get some similar safeguards, so I am sure they must have seen those. Ladakh becoming a Union territory is a recent development so I am sure as things change, amendments can be made and that's the beauty of democracy."

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January 26 – climate fast or a celebration of the Constitution?

When Wangchuk was quizzed about choosing January 26, when the country celebrates Republic Day, to start the climate fast, he said, "Choosing January 26 was a conscious decision. I find our Constitution very evolved and feel that it does not only tolerate diversity but it promotes and protects diversity. Since the Sixth Schedule is aimed at protecting that diversity, so, I thought of celebrating the Constitution by reminding the leadership and the people of the risk at which these fragile regions, their culture and people stand presently."

Power of sun at minus 40° Celsius

Wangchuk said that sitting at a climate fast in Khardungla pass at minus 40° Celsius may appear difficult, but there are mountaineers out in the world who have faced much worse conditions and sustained themselves.

He joked that he will be just sitting there a "little hungry" and added that he does not aim to present the climate fast as just an emphasis on the climatic crisis the world is facing but wishes to demonstrate to the world the solutions to live in sync with nature.

"So, I will be showing how the sun can be a beautiful source of energy. All my boiled water will come from the solar water heater, my electricity will come from a high-altitude solar power unit and I am even making a solar bed which will absorb the sun during the day and give me some comfort at night. I will show that even at minus 40° Celsius and 18,000 feet you can survive using the power of the sun and people can of course do better at home and with good conditions in the city if I can do at minus 40° Celsius," Wangchuk said.

'Need wisdom to foresee 50 years to save climate'

The scientist explained that the vision to foresee the future in the next 50 years is what is needed to save the environment. He said that democracy teaches people to remain short-sighted and plan for the next five years.

"We do things that may benefit us in five years, without realising that it may become a reason for regret in 50 years. So, democracy teaches us to be clever but not wise. What you need is wisdom for decades rather than cleverness for five years and that's why I think people like me need to raise our voices to remind people and the governments that don't do just quick fixes in five years, think of five decades or more."

"We need wisdom more than cleverness," Wangchuk said as he prepared to give the world the message to save nature and biodiversity for a better and hopeful future for generations to come.

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