Sonam Wangchuk: Who inspired Cine Star Amir Khan to Make Bollywood blockbuster "Three Ideots"

Despite from an influential family from Ladakh (His father-a Minister in Jammu & Kashmir), Wangchuk left home to study Engineering--a subject of his choice, took no money to from his parents, earned through tutoring. Inspired by him Amir Khan made Blockbuster movie '3 Ideots'. In 2009 he eared a Magsaysay Award for his innovative work on education reforms. He is still doing experiments and teaching in Ladakh.

His Interview on WALLET WAR Against China

BY Vijay Thakur, Special Representative, The Statesman, vijaythakurx@gmail.com

Magsaysay award recipient Sonam Wangchuk came into limelight in 2009, when his story inspired Amir Khan’s characters in the blockbuster movie ‘3 idiots’. Though Sonam Wangchuk denies any link, the movie revolves around the educational reforms, and innovations he carried out. Wangchuk belongs to an influential political family of Ladakh, but he preferred to go against the wishes of his father Sonam Wangyal (a Minister in the erstwhile Jammu & Kashmir government), and did B Tech in Mechanical Engg without taking any financial assistance from his family in 1987. After his graduation, he launched the Student’s Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh (SEMCOL) and started educating poor and needy and poor people of Ladakh. The results of the movement were amazing and he attracted worldwide attention for his education reform. Later he was appointed advisor for education Department in the Ladakh Hill Council. The vision document ‘Ladakh 2025’ on education reforms were drafted by him was formally launched by the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in 2005.

In 2011 he did his higher studies in Eathern Architecture at Craterre School of Architecture in Grenoble France and in 2013 he innovated ‘ICE STUPA’ an artificial glacier to store extra winter water so as it could be used during summer—the time when farmers need it the most. In 2016, he initiated another project called FarmStays Ladakh, which provides tourists to stay with local families of Ladakh, run by mothers and middle-aged women. Two years later, he received Ramon Magsaysay award for Harnessing nature, Culture and Education.

In wake of Covid-19 and recent Indo-China standoff, Sonam has launched a new drive “Boycott Chinese products”. He appealed to ‘use wallet power’ against Chinese aggression against India. Vijay Thakur, Special Representative of the Statesman, spoke to Wangchuk on his ‘wallet war against China’. Excerpts.

1

Question

Amid the India-China border standoff, you have called for boycotting all products made in China. Why?

Answer

If you are living in Ladakh it would not have surprised you why we are so much against China. We have been seeing the misbehaviour of the Chinese government for a long time. They took away our family sovereign neighbour Tibet and then they waged a war against India and drew their line further towards Ladakh in 1962 war. They did not even stick to the line they themselves drew in 1962 and has been capturing Indian Territory meter by meter every year. This time it is several kilometres.

This has caused lots of suffering and anger to people in Leh and Ladakh, particularly among our pashmina breeders because they cannot raise their goats. They lost their pastures to China and are uncertain how Chinese authorities would behave when they go to border areas with their herds. Finally, people in Ladakh have come out with one voice to use Citizen’s wallet power to reply to Chinese arrogant and colonizing behaviour.

2

Question

But, in this globalised, inter-connected, inter-dependent world, is it possible to completely boycott all products manufactured in a country — and that too a neighbouring country like China. For, like other countries in the world, India is also dependent on China for a wide spectrum of products, including even pharmaceutical goods and medical equipment required for combating Covid-19 pandemic.

Answer

Yes, we can. Where there is a will there is a way. We should say no to the Chinese product in a phased and strategic manner. First, delete Chinese software in a week, and then discard Chinese hardware in one year.  This way we can discard almost all non-essential Chinese products in a year. But for essential goods or components, we may have to take two years. Trust me, two years is enough time to evolve an ecosystem to replace essential Chinese products.

I give you an example, Jain community eat no onion, no garlic and only certain vegetarian food. But they do not go hungry rather business adopt according to their requirements. And there are Jain food restaurants all over the world where there is a Jain community. We have enough time on our side, there is no hurry, we can look for options during these two years to say goodbye to Chinese products.

 

3

Question:

In your “use your wallet” pitch to Indians and your “boycott products made in China” campaign, you have even made a two-part “Cheen ko Jawab” YouTube videos. What led you to do it?

Answer:

To know why I am against China you have to come and stay here for a year. Only then you would know why we are so much against China. Actually, we are not against Chinese people, They are also victims of the Chinese government, our fight is with the Chinese government.

China is not a normal country. It is a totalitarian regime where people are kept like bonded labourers that’s why Chinese goods are so cheap. There are hardly any labour friendly law in China. There are no environmental laws that protect the nature. Chinese Government hardly respect human rights, now you decide whether we should trade with China or not.

Question:

Western countries are procuring their goods from China. In fact, they have moved their manufacturing hubs to China. Still, you think we should boycott Chinese products?

Answer:

Western countries have double standards, in their own country, they protect human rights, follow stringent environmental restrictions but at the same time shift their factories to China for cheap production, where there is no respect for human rights and no restrictions for to save the environment.

 

Question:

The entire world is facing Covid-19 crisis. Why you chose this time to boycott Chinese Products. ?

Answer:

China is a rogue nation. It does not even respect international bodies. That’s why Coronavirus spread from this country. It is not transparent and held crucial information from an institution like the WHO (World Health Organisation). As a result, we could not contain CORONA in time. Such a country cannot be treated like a normal country. I would respect trade partnership if we were dealing with a normal country, which is open, transparent and democratic, where the government is represented by the people. But China is a wolf in sheepskin, it is expansionist, wants to colonize the world. So we cannot have the same business protocol with China as with the rest of the world.

 

Question

But India and China have been engaged in talks at various levels, with both sides pledging to resolve their bilateral differences peacefully.  Don’t you think campaigns like yours would be a hurdle in this process?

Answer:

Unfortunately, India’s stand on this has been too soft for a totalitarian arrogant nation like China to understand. We always try to accommodate them. It might be ok for a friendly nation but China misunderstood and took us for granted.

I think India should match with their bullet to bullet power and man to manpower. But we as an Indian should also do something, which is out of the box that could take China by surprise. That is a citizen’s power.

China does not understand or respect diplomatic relations, territorial borders and it has little or no fear from Indian military power. China does not worry as they have well equipped and has a larger army than India. I strongly believe China will start behaving only when they see damage to their economy. This can only come from Indian citizen’s wallet power. When the Chinese economy destabilizes, their entire population would go for a revolt for an uprising. And this is the language China understands. We should hit where it hurts them the most.

Question:

What would be your next agenda?

Answer

Indian citizens saying no to Chinese goods is good but even better if the entire world denounces the Chinese products. This would send the Chinese government a strong message that the way they handled Covid-19 crisis was unacceptable. Also, how they are handling its neighbour mainly Taiwan, Vietnam, and India is unacceptable. The whole world needs to denounce Chinese goods. My next agenda is to do so. I would be appealing the entire world community to say no to Chinese products.

 

Ends.