NEW DELHI: Gitanjali Angmo, wife of education reformer and climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, has appealed to President Droupadi Murmu for the “unconditional release” of her husband, asserting that he poses no threat to anyone or his nation. In a representation dated October 1, Angmo describes a “full-scale witch hunt” against Wangchuk, which she claims has intensified over the past month and has been ongoing covertly for four years.
Wangchuk was detained under the National Security Act (NSA) by Leh police on September 26, and Angmo has expressed deep concern over his well-being, stating, “I am shocked and devastated.” She questions whether advocating for the needs of people and opposing unchecked development in the ecologically sensitive region of Ladakh is a crime. “Is it a crime to speak about climate change, melting glaciers, educational reforms, and grassroots innovation?” she asks, emphasizing that his peaceful advocacy cannot be labeled a threat to national security.
In her communication to the President, Angmo noted that copies had also been sent to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several other key officials. She highlights that since learning of her husband’s detention, she has had no information regarding his condition. Angmo pleads with the President, who shares a tribal background, to recognize the plight of the people in Ladakh and to intervene.
Wangchuk has been a vocal advocate for statehood and the extension of the Sixth Schedule to Ladakh. His recent detention, which occurred after protests on September 24, has drawn public attention and concern. Angmo alleges that she has faced CRPF surveillance in Phyang village, where the Himalayan Institute of Alternatives Ladakh (HIAL) is located, and reports that staff and students have also been monitored tightly. She indicated that two members of her Institute were taken into police custody without apparent legal justification.
Angmo questions her right to communicate with her husband, stating, “Am I not entitled to meet and speak with my husband on phone and in person wherever he is detained?” Furthermore, she condemns the state’s actions against them as deplorable and violative of the Constitution of India. Angmo concludes her appeal by urging the President to inject sanity into the current chaotic situation, calling attention to the principles of equity, justice, and conscience that she believes should guide state actions.
