Before getting to the reasons behind this demand for 6th Schedule for Ladakh, it is important to understand what is the 6th Schedule of the Constitution. Schedule Six of the Constitution is a special provision meant for North-Eastern states of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram. Under this, the Government may constitute Autonomous District Councils and Regional Councils for the Scheduled Areas.

Currently, such District Councils have been constituted in 10 districts of the aforementioned states. These District Councils have significant legislative, judicial, administrative, and financial power. Additionally, they also are authorised to decide and collect land revenue, impose taxes, issue licences to carry on business in the region including prohibiting non-tribals from any kind of business activities, management of forests, agriculture, and education. Acts passed by State Legislatures on certain subjects may or may not be applicable, as directed by the President or the Governor of the State. Thus, these District Councils exercise considerable autonomy over their defined region.

Who is Sonam Wangchuk?

Sonam Wangchuk, as claimed by him, is an engineer, innovator, climate activist and an education reformist based in Ladakh. After graduating from NIT Srinagar, he founded the Students’ Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh (SECMOL) in 1988. His father Sonam Wangyal was a Congress leader and minister in the J&K Government. Though, this is nowhere shown in the media. There are reports that show that he married an American woman Rebecca Norman, who was a student of School of International Training, a private non-profit institution, which receives ample funding from Ford Foundation and George Soros OSF.

In 2002, Sonam received an Ashoka fellowship funded by Rockefeller Foundation. In 2004, he was appointed to the Drafting Committee team which formulated the policy on Education and Tourism for the Ladakh’s Vision Document Ladakh 2025, which was formally launched by the then Prime Minister of India, Dr. Manmohan Singh. He was also later appointed as a member in the National Governing Council for Elementary Education in the Ministry of Human Resource Development. He was also part of the expert panel for framing the J&K State Education Policy and Vision Document. In 2018, he received the Ramon Magsaysay Award, funded by the Rockefeller Brothers Fund.

He grew to prominence after the release of 3 Idiots in 2009, in which it was claimed by a section of media that Aamir Khan’s character was loosely based on Sonam Wangchuk, which, however, he denies. In June 2020, he gained traction following his appeal to boycott Chinese products in response to India-China border clashes in the Galwan Valley. After the abrogation of Article 370, he thanked the Prime Minister for fulfilling their longstanding demand for according Union Terrotory status to Ladakh.

In 2023, he launched a protest in Ladakh demanding implementation of the 6th Schedule of the Constitution in Ladakh. He organised a 21-day Climate Fast hunger strike, a march on foot from Ladakh to Delhi to press for his demands. He has been critical of development activities currently going on in Ladakh on the pretext that it is harming the Himalayan ecology. He has been vocal about his opposition to migration of people from other states to Ladakh, setting up of industries, and private sector enterprises, alleging that it will destroy the ecology of Ladakh. Last year (2024), he made a derogatory comment on Hindu Gods Ram and Sita. In February this year, he visited Pakistan to attend a Climate Conference organised by a media house in Islamabad.

Ladakh - Its Strategic importance

Ladakh, India’s northernmost point, is strategically located, sharing international border on three sides with Chinese illegally annexed Tibet, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Ladakh is a very sensitive region and any kind of disturbance there would be a threat to India’s security and sovereignty. Considerable part of Ladakh is under illegal occupation of China and Pakistan. Both China and Pakistan too have interest in Ladakh, as it would give them a strategic advantage over India. Despite bare resources and limited arms and ammunition, it was only because of the bravery of Indian military and the patriotic Ladakhis that India could halt the onslaught in Sino-India war of 1962, which resulted in a loss of vast territory to China. Over the past few years, the Government of India has done massive allocation of funds for improving infrastructure to address last mile connectivity issues and the overall development of this sparsely populated and inaccessible region. All these are eco-friendly and green projects. This has enraged certain sections, who are against this development as the resultant infrastructure would assist the movement of military in case of any eventuality and also aiding a positive atmosphere amongst the local Ladakhis. In such a scenario, bringing Ladakh in the purview of Schedule 6 would prove to be detrimental to Ladakh, especially it being surrounded on 3 sides by hostile nations, who might use it as an opportunity to destabilize the region. The Central Government would also require concurrence of the local District Council before initiating any project. It is important to note that two Autonomous Hill District Councils, one for Ladakh and the other one for Kargil, are already in place since 1997, having somewhat powers similar to the Schedule 6 of the Constitution, the difference being that it was enacted by the State Legislature of Jammu & Kashmir.

There are certain puzzling questions that arise in such conditions:

Why is Sonam Wangchuk demanding to bring Ladakh under the purview of Schedule 6 of the Indian Constitution when there already exists the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council? Why is he skeptical of LAHDC?

Why was Aamir Khan starrer 3 Idiots’ lead character linked to Sonam Wangchuk, though the story was partly inspired from Chetan Bhagat’s novel ‘Five Points Someone’? Relatively unknown Sonam Wangchuk gained prominence right away.

Why are the details of his parents and their political links with Congress missing and ignored by the media? Why is the media tight lipped, especially after Wangchuk’s meeting with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in Ladakh?

Why are the details of his first marriage with Rebecca Norman not available in the media? What is the reason behind the secrecy?

Who helped Sonam Wangchuk and why to secure funding for his projects from Ford Foundations and other such organisations? What is the real motive behind their support to the projects run by Sonam Wangchuk?

Who proposed Sonam Wangchuk’s nomination for the Ramon Magsaysay Award?

Why would a person who appealed for boycotting Chinese goods in the backdrop of Galwan Valley clashes visit Pakistan to attend a local Conference which is the root cause of terrorism in not just Kashmir valley but whole of India?

The statement by Sonam Wangchuk that Ladakh is being treated like a Colony, raises doubt over his orientation. Ladakh is an integral part of India, and a Colony refers to a territory under political control of a foreign country, and inhabited by settlers from that country.

Over the years, he has received a lot of patronage of the Congress led Government. Is this the reason why he is toeing their line on multiple issues.

The environment activist has been severely criticised for his projects like ice-stupa for being environmentally hazardous by the local Ladakhis.

As an environmentalist himself, why is he opposing the eco-friendly, green projects launched by the Central Government in Ladakh.

Over the years, it is no secret that the Deep State is nurturing people in different regions to support them in their cause, and who would eventually assist the Deep State in destabilising a region which does not adhere to their line. Muhammad Yunus, the Interim Advisor of Bangladesh has also followed a similar path on his way to this position. He was also funded by Deep State organisations, especially the Clinton Global Initiative. He had won the Ramon Magsaysay Award long back.

Arvind Kejriwal, another Ramon Magsaysay award winner, was hitherto unknown when he received the award, but immediately gained limelight when he launched agitation against corruption under Anna Hazare. Though initially they did not show any political interest and focused their attention on social causes, how and when they shifted to politics is difficult to say for sure. Will Sonam Wangchuk eventually walk the same path is something for future to answer, but is there any hidden agenda behind this demand for implementation of 6th Schedule as it does raise suspicion about his intentions.