Wangchuk Treated Like a ‘Criminal Without Cause’, Alleges Wife Gitanjali Angmo

LEH, SEPTEMBER 26: The arrest of renowned climate activist and education reformer Sonam Wangchuk has drawn a furious response from his wife, Gitanjali Angmo, who accused authorities of treating him like a criminal “without any reason” and attempting to destroy his reputation through false narratives. Wangchuk was taken into custody from his native village, Ulyaktopo, on Friday, two days after violent protests in Leh over statehood and constitutional safeguards left four people dead and nearly 60 others injured. The Ministry of Home Affairs has accused him of making “provocative statements” that allegedly incited the violence, a charge Wangchuk has repeatedly denied.

Angmo, who is also the co-founder of the Himalayan Institute of Alternatives, Ladakh (HIAL), strongly condemned what she described as the government’s heavy-handed and unjust actions. “It is the worst form of democracy. Without any trial, without any reason, they have just taken him like a criminal,” she said, visibly upset. She alleged that police personnel ransacked their home during the arrest and that her husband is now being falsely portrayed as “anti-national,” a label she called deeply offensive and far removed from reality.

Angmo accused the government of launching a systematic campaign to tarnish Wangchuk’s reputation, despite his decades-long record of peaceful activism and significant contributions to education, sustainable development, and climate awareness. “The government should not stoop to this level to malign someone who has peacefully protested for five years and contributed immensely to the nation’s prestige, whether through the Rolex Awards, his work in agriculture and environment, or recognition by UNDP,” she said. “If this is how intellectuals and innovators are treated, then God save this country from becoming anything but a Vishwaguru.”

Her anger also extended to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which she accused of betraying the very principles it claims to uphold. “Please tell them not to call themselves Hindu, because the basis of Hinduism is truth,” she said. Identifying herself as a practising Hindu and a teacher of the Vedas, Vedanta, and Bhagavad Gita in the tradition of Sri Aurobindo, Angmo said, “This is not the India Sri Aurobindo dreamt about, and this is not the Hinduism that the Vedas and Vedanta speak of. The BJP is not Hindu because its foundation is falsehood.”

Angmo also issued an open challenge to government representatives for a live, prime-time televised debate on all the allegations against her husband, including those related to the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) and investigations by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). “I challenge anyone from the Centre to face me in a one-on-one debate about every allegation. Let them not misuse their power and deploy the entire state and national machinery just to target one man,” she asserted.