Why is Sonam Wangchuk, who inspired 3 idiots, sitting on a fast? (Hint: all is not well with Ladakh)

Illustration by Manali Ghosh

Synopsis
In the absence of any special status, the ecologically sensitive region is gradually becoming a hotbed for tourism and infrastructure projects. Locals say glaciers are melting, trees are being chopped, land is being handed over to corporates, and people are becoming water refugees. Can protection under the Sixth Schedule save Ladakh from a manmade disaster?

Aamir Khan played him in 3 Idiots. The character in the film, Rancho or Phunsukh Wangdu, believed his “all is well” chant can get him, or anyone, out of a tricky situation. But in real life, Sonam Wangchuk, the Ladakhi innovator and education reformist with 400-plus patents who was the inspiration behind the 2009 blockbuster, is now humming a different tune — all is not well in Ladakh. Reason? The rapid infrastructure and tourism activities in