Sonam Wangchuk from Ladakh, the lion, not the cockroach
New Delhi's Jantar Mantar on Saturday saw protests by the once-satirical, now-serious Cockroach Janta Party (CJP). Ladakh-based innovator, educator and climate activist Sonam Wangchuk joined
New Delhi's Jantar Mantar on Saturday saw protests by the once-satirical, now-serious Cockroach Janta Party (CJP). Ladakh-based innovator, educator and climate activist Sonam Wangchuk joined Abhijeet Dipke, the CJP founder, as he came back to India to lead the protests on Saturday. Wangchuk had earlier this week extended his support to the youth-led movement over the NEET paper leak issue, lending credibility and visibility to a protest that began as internet satire before metamorphosing into an organised group. Read Full Story While many know activist-educator Sonam Wangchuk, many might not know another Sonam Wangchuk, who's also from Ladakh. He was an Indian Army officer who fought the Pakistanis in the 1999 Kargil war and etched his name in history. He was awarded the Maha Vir Chakra (MVC), India's second-highest wartime gallantry award. While climate activist Wangchuk fought Ladakh's water crisis through innovations like artificial glaciers, soldier Sonam Wangchuk, battled Pakistani intruders in the Kargil War. And unlike the ironic mascot of a political movement built around what Dipke said is "a surviving a dysfunctional system", Colonel Sonam Wangchuk earned another identity in the mountains of Kargil. The Lion of Ladakh. WHO IS SONAM WANGCHUK, THE LION OF LADAKH Born on May 11, 1964, in Sankar (near Leh) in the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir, Colonel Sonam Wangchuk grew up amid the rugged mountains that would later test his mettle.
Influenced by a relative in the Indian Army, he joined the Officers Training Academy in Chennai and was commissioned into the 4th Battalion of the Assam Regiment. He served in challenging areas, including with the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) in Sri Lanka, before joining the Indus Wing of the Ladakh Scouts — the "Snow Warriors", known for their endurance in high-altitude warfare. By 1999, then-Major Sonam Wangchuk was a seasoned officer, familiar with the unforgiving terrain of Ladakh. When Pakistani intruders occupied strategic heights across the Line of Control (LoC) in the Kargil war, the Indian Army launched Operation Vijay to evict them. The Batalik sector, with its glaciated ridges rising above 18,000 feet, presented challenges like freezing cold, blizzards, thin air, and slopes where every step could be fatal. On May 28-30, 1999, Major Wangchuk was tasked with a critical mission. He had to secure a dominant ridge line at Chorbat La to pre-empt further enemy infiltration and establish observation posts. Leading a column of the Ladakh Scouts, he moved towards the LoC under cover of darkness and harsh weather. WHEN SONAM WANGCHUK'S PALTAN WAS AMBUSHED ON PATROL IN LADAKH The operation took a sudden turn when the column was ambushed from a vantage position by Pakistani troops.
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