We all have watched 3 idiots. For me it is my favourite comedy film, it’s a movie that I have watched so many times and now I remember this movie line by line, scene by scene. Rancho was an imagination of Raju Hirani but Phunsuk Wangdu wasn’t; he was inspired from a real life inventor, engineer Sonam Wangchuk. Today, Sonam Wangchuk is again in the news. This time, not for any new inventions or awards, but for going on an indefinite hunger strike. This protest does not only affect the residents of his native place Ladakh but millions of students across the country who are fighting for a better and more transparent education system. However, while the man whose life inspired one of the most popular Indian movies is fighting from a small stage at Jantar Mantar, most people are silent.
We keep on proudly calling ourselves apolitical. We try to convince ourselves that apathy towards politics is a sign of good citizenship. But can we afford to stay a political when issues of education, the environment and democracy have an impact on all of us? If something bad occurs to Mr. Wangchuk, history will remember not only the politicians but also a passive society.
Who is Sonam Wangchuk, outside of the movie “3 Idiots”?
It might be quite easy to call him “the man behind 3 Idiots,” but this statement is far too general.
For the last many years,Sonam Wangchuk has worked in Ladakh, trying to change the field of education based on the Students’ Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh (SECMOL). Instead of making students memorize everything, he made them learn how to solve real-life problems using their creativity. Thanks to his work, many kids who had been ruined by the standard educational system received a hope for a better future.
His ideas were not limited to schools. He invented the Ice Stupa project, which helped to preserve water in the Himalayan region and win the Ramon Magsaysay Award. Even before becoming an activist, he had spent his life trying to help people.
What does his hunger strike mean?
Currently, Sonam Wangchuk is fighting much more than one issue. Wangchuk is supporting the demands for accountability made by the youth-led Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) in light of the controversy concerning the NEET exams. The protesters have demanded that Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resign from his position as they claim the repeated irregularities with examinations have destroyed the faith of millions of students prepared for exams for many years.
Although it can be debated whether these demands are correct or not, one thing is clear: these issues are broader than one state or one community. Every family that believes in meaningful education is affected.
A health battle everyone is watching
As the hunger strike continues, worries around Sonam Wangchuk’s health are increasing. Several reports indicate that he has lost a significant amount of weight. Also, medics have warned over the dangers of continuing the fasting. Supporters, scientists, students and other persons of power have been calling both the government and the protesters for dialogue in order to improve the situation.
However, Wangchuk makes no concessions. He has claimed that his struggle is not against any political party, but for accountability, transparency and the future of young generations in India.
Where is the country that loved Rancho ?
3 Idiots is the subject of discussions during examination times each year. People repeatedly use the phrase, “All is well.” They appreciate the character of Rancho for exposing the flaws in the education system of the moment. The idea that excellence is more important than success is also well received. This chance to admire Rancho’s real-life equivalent and honor his actions comes with people losing their interest. This is the additional thing that generates continuation of irony.
The Real Question
The article does not ask for your agreement regarding Sonam Wangchuk; instead, it seeks something simpler. Are we so engrossed in consuming stories that we forget about their makers? Are we so accustomed to being politically neutral that we don’t voice our opinions when students and the environment are facing challenges? The real-life Sonam Wangchuk doesn’t want to become a movie star, but a problem-solver and today he’s risking his health because he knows that there are problems we can’t ignore.
Years from now, we will still be watching “3 Idiots.” We will laugh at Rancho’s jokes and remember his words, but the most important thing to remember is not the dialogue from the film but rather the question history will be asking us.
When the man who inspired Rancho needed the nation, where were we ?
