Sonia Gandhi 'Backs' Sonam Wangchuk, Revives Indira Gandhi's Role In His Father's 1984 Hunger Strike

Sonam Wangchuk's father fasted for Ladakh in 1984. Then Indira Gandhi came to Leh

Sonam Wangchuk's hunger strike has brought Ladakh's demands back into the national spotlight. But decades earlier, his father Sonam Wangyal fasted for the region's Scheduled Tribe demand. Indira Gandhi visited Leh at the time, and in 1989, a constitutional order formally recognised eight Ladakhi tribal communities as STs.

‘How govts should respond’: Indira Gandhi’s 1984 meet with Wangchuk’s father finds fresh relevance - The Tribune

Meanwhile, photographs of the former prime minister meeting Wangyal during the hunger strike were widely shared on social media throughout the day.

When Indira Gandhi flew to Leh to meet Sonam Wangchuk's father: Why Congress is reviving 1984 episode amid Delhi protest

The Congress reportedly recalled Indira Gandhi's 1984 meeting with Sonam Wangyal while supporting his son, Sonam Wangchuk, on hunger strike demanding education reforms at Delhi's Jantar Mantar. Pawan Khera criticised the current government's ‘indifference’ towards protests and urged engagement.

Congress Reaches Out to Sonam Wangchuk After Sonia Gandhi's Intervention? Rahul Focuses on Students' Campaign

With the Monsoon Session of Parliament around the corner, the Congress appears to be walking a political tightrope. After facing criticism for not reaching out to activist Sonam Wangchuk, who is on an indefinite hunger strike at Jantar Mantar, the party has now extended support. According to sources, Sonia Gandhi reminded senior Congress leaders of how former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had reached out to Wangchuk's father during his hunger str…

Sonia Gandhi 'Backs' Sonam Wangchuk, Revives Indira Gandhi's Role In His Father's 1984 Hunger Strike

Sonia Gandhi supported Sonam Wangchuk's hunger strike, recalling that Indira Gandhi had persuaded Wangchuk's father to end his fast for Scheduled Tribe status in 1984.