Anand Mahindra Hails Sonam Wangchuk As He Sleeps Outdoors In -20 degrees To Save Ladakh

Recent studies suggest the extinction of two-thirds of the glaciers in the Union Territory, Ladakh. The Ladakh-based social reformist, Sonam Wangchuk lately insisted Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure the safety and protection of the beautiful Ladakh.

Have you heard of Sonam Wangchuk before? Yes, you might have as his life story inspired the blockbuster Bollywood film 3 Idiots.

In a YouTube video, Wangchuk mentioned,

“all is not well in Ladakh”

In his video, he appealed to the Prime Minister to intervene and protect the delicate ecosystem under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution. Wanchuk said in the video,

“This is an urgent appeal from Sonam Wangchuk in Ladakh (in the Indian Himalayas) to the people of India and the world to help protect the environmentally sensitive region of Ladakh”

From January 26, Republic Day, Sonam Wangchuk intends to sit on a five-day “climate fast” at Khardungla pass which is 18, 000 feet above sea level. The temperature there dips as low as – 40 degrees

To ensure that he can pull it off successfully, Wangchuk did a “test run”. He spent Sunday night at 11,500 feet above sea level on the rooftop of the Himalayan Institute of Alternative Ladakh (HIAL) in Ladakh.

The morning after he posted a video on Twitter, and greeted his followers by saying,

 “It’s been minus 16.7 degrees, close to minus 17. And with wind chill factor, minus 20. I am alive and happily up.”

He also added,

“Thank you for all your support. This test went very well. I was not too uncomfortable. Just a little cold at the feet and knees. But I am fine and alive, thank you.”

Impressed by the initiative and praising his efforts, industrialist Anand Mahindra called him a “climate hero” after watching the video

By sharing Wangchuk’s video, Anand Mahindra tweeted,

“This man is a climate hero”

In reply to Anand Mahindra’s encouraging tweet, Sonam said,

Much less than you in your field sir! I specially admire your EVs and was the first one to test a #Mahindra #E2O in Ladakh

This is not the first time that the Mahindra chairman has praised Wangchuk, it has happened in the past too. When Wangchuk developed a solar-powered portable military tent to aid Indian soldiers to stay warm in a high-altitude region like Galwan Valley.

In February 2021, Mahindra tweeted,

‘Sonam, you’re the man! I salute you. Your work is energising’

Wangchuk is an Education Reformist, Innovator Academician, and the Founder and Advisor of SECMOL- Students” Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh. It is a non-traditional school that brought about educational reform in the Ladakh region. Due to which the education improved and the number of students clearing exams up to the intermediate level increased in numbers.