Sonam Wangchuk, renowned engineer, educator, and climate activist, has long been celebrated for his innovative solutions to Ladakh's challenges. However, recent events have thrust him into the heart of a political storm, as he becomes the face of Ladakh's demand for greater autonomy and constitutional safeguards.

Born in 1966 in Uleytokpo near Leh, Wangchuk was home-schooled until the age of nine due to the absence of schools in his village. His family later moved to Srinagar, where he struggled to adapt to formal schooling. At 12, he relocated alone to Delhi and enrolled at a Kendriya Vidyalaya. Wangchuk eventually pursued engineering at the Regional Engineering College in Srinagar, now NIT Srinagar.

In 1988, he co-founded the Students’ Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh (SECMO

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