Indira Gandhi's 1984 Meet With Wangchuk's Father Gains Fresh Relevance

New Delhi: When late Ladakhi leader Sonam Wangyal launched an indefinite hunger strike in 1984, demanding ST status for Ladakh's communities, then prime minister Indira Gandhi travelled to Leh, assured him that the demand would be addressed and persuaded him to end the fast, according to historical accounts.

Memories of the decades-old episode resurfaced in the public discourse on Friday as Wangyal's son, climate activist and educator Sonam Wangchuk, continued his indefinite hunger strike for the 20th day, with political leaders and social media users juxtaposing the current dispensation's response with that of Gandhi's.

The Cockroach Janta Party's (CJP) protest at Jantar Mantar -- over alleged examination irregularities and demand for Union education minister's resignation -- entered 28th day, with Wangchuk urging people to ensure a massive turnout for the outfit's proposed march to Parliament on July 20.

Meanwhile, photographs of the former prime minister meeting Wangyal during the hunger strike were widely shared on social media throughout the day. According to historical accounts of the episode, Gandhi told Wangyal that the demand would be considered and persuaded him to end the fast. Ladakh's communities were granted ST status in 1989.

The historical parallel also found resonance within the Congress. Party sources said former Congress president Sonia Gandhi told a senior leader that they should meet Wangchuk at the protest site and referred to the 1984 episode, citing Indira Gandhi's decision to travel to Leh and engage directly with Wangyal as an example of how governments should respond to peaceful democratic protests.

The Congress so far had largely kept away from the ongoing protest even as several opposition leaders extended support to the movement. However, on Thursday, Congress general secretary K C Venugopal called upon Wangchuk to end his fast, while party leader Pawan Khera visited the protest site on Friday.

The comparison between the official responses to Wangchuk's and Wangyal's protests was echoed publicly by Khera as well, after he met Wangchuk at Jantar Mantar. In a post on X, Khera said peaceful protest was a constitutional right and that a government's duty was to engage with those undertaking a fast.

"That is what Indira Gandhi ji did in 1984. That is what Dr Manmohan Singh's government did in 2011," he said, accusing the present government of choosing "indifference" over dialogue.

Wangyal, a prominent Ladakh leader and former minister in the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir government, played a key role in mobilising public opinion on Ladakh's constitutional and political aspirations. The renewed interest in the late leader's role in the movement has also brought several old videos of Wangchuk back into circulation. In one widely shared clip, he recalls that while seeking admission to an engineering college, he identified his father as a farmer rather than a minister in the Jammu and Kashmir government because he did not want his family background to influence the admission process. Another video being shared online shows a young Wangchuk reflecting on the distinction between being "clever" and being "wise", arguing that wisdom lies in using knowledge for the larger public good rather than personal gain.

Wangchuk, who joined the Cockroach Janta Party-led protest on June 28, completed 20 days of his hunger strike on Friday. According to the latest medical bulletin, he has lost over nine kilograms and remains under close medical supervision, with doctors warning of increasing muscle loss and the risk of organ damage if the fast continues.

The protest has drawn support from leaders across opposition parties, including the Congress, NCP (SP), Samajwadi Party, Shiv Sena (UBT), MNS, CPI(M) and the Trinamool Congress, ahead of a planned march to Parliament on July 20.