Ladakh’s climate activist Sonam Wangchuk on Tuesday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah would have to show some character and farsightedness to be counted as statesmen and not just politicians, a terse reminder on the last day of his 21-day fast for the region’s special status and statehood.

Wangchuk said there was no word from the government about the demands of the people of Ladakh in all the days of his hunger strike.

“We are trying to remind and awaken the consciousness of our Prime Minister, Mr Modi, and home minister Mr Amit Shah to safeguard the fragile ecosystem of Himalayan mountains in Ladakh and the unique indigenous tribal cultures that thrive here,” Wangchuk, looking frail and struggling to speak, said in a video.

“We do not want to think of Modiji and Amit Shahji as just politicians, we would rather like to think of them as statesmen, and for that, they will have to show some character and farsightedness,” he added.

In a post on X, he said there was “still not a word from the government”. “We need statesmen of integrity, farsightedness & wisdom in this country & not just shortsighted characterless politicians. And I very much hope that @narendramodi ji & @AmitShah ji will soon prove that they are statesmen,” the post read.