NEW DELHI: Dr Gitanjali J. Angmo, wife of renowned Ladakhi education reformer and climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, has made an impassioned appeal to the President of India for her husband's unconditional release, following his detention under the National Security Act on September 26, 2025.
In a detailed representation submitted to the President and Prime Minister of India, Dr Angmo, who is the Founder and CEO of the Himalayan Institute of Alternatives, Ladakh (HIAL), revealed that she was informed of her husband's detention via a phone call from Inspector Rigzin Gurmet, Station House Officer of Leh Police Station, at approximately 4 PM on September 26.
Wangchuk was detained under Section 3(2) of the National Security Act, 1980, by order of the Deputy Commissioner of Ladakh. He was immediately transferred to Central Jail in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, accompanied by ASP Rishabh Shukla. Dr Angmo was assured that she would be allowed to speak with her husband upon his arrival at the Jodhpur facility, but as of October 1, no such communication has been permitted.
"Till today, i.e. 1st Oct 2025, the officer has not called me or made me speak to my husband. I am completely unaware about my husband's condition," Dr Angmo stated in her representation.
Circumstances of Detention
According to Dr Angmo's account, Wangchuk was not even allowed to collect his personal belongings during the detention. She expressed grave concern about his health, particularly given that he had just completed a 15-day fast in September 2025, which had left him physically weakened. She remains uncertain whether he has been provided with fresh clothes, basic amenities, or the daily medicines he requires.
The detention was initially described as not being an arrest since no FIR had been filed. However, on September 30, 2025, Dr. Angmo received notification of FIR No. 144 of 2025, filed under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, including sections 109, 115(2), 118(1), 118(2), 117(2), 125, 189, 190, 191(2), (3), 309, 324, 326(e), (f), (g), 121(1) and 61(2).
Climate of Surveillance and Investigation
Dr Angmo detailed an atmosphere of intense surveillance and intimidation following her husband's detention. She herself was placed under CRPF surveillance at Village Phyang, where the Himalayan Institute of Alternatives is located. Students and staff of the Institute were also subjected to tight surveillance, and two members of the Institute were taken into police custody over a three-day period.
Media personnel were reportedly barred from entering the campus, preventing them from speaking with Dr Angmo and her colleagues. A Special Investigation Team has requested comprehensive details of all fellowship students, residential staff, and teacher trainees at HIAL, including their names, parentage, residence, photographs, and contact information.
Dr Angmo characterized these actions as "a full scale witch hunt" that has been "unleashed for the past one month in particular, and for the past four years covertly, to kill the spirit of my husband and all the causes he stands for and espouses."
The Activist's Work
In her representation, Dr Angmo questioned whether it could be considered a crime for her husband to speak about climate change, melting glaciers, educational reforms, and grassroot innovation. She emphasized that Wangchuk has been raising his voice for the upliftment of a backward tribal region in an ecologically fragile area through peaceful, Gandhian methods for the past four years.
She highlighted Wangchuk's contributions to national security, including his work building shelters for the Indian Army to help officers and soldiers "sleep warm and fight effectively." Dr Angmo stressed that Ladakh is known for its nationalism and support for the Indian Army, with the Ladakh Scouts serving as a crucial support system for military operations in the region.
"To treat the son of the soil of Ladakh so shabbily is not just a SIN but a strategic error for building strong borders with solidarity and peaceful coexistence," she wrote.
Constitutional Concerns
Dr Angmo raised several legal and constitutional questions in her appeal:
1. Her right to meet and speak with her husband by phone and in person
2. Her ability to assist her husband in understanding the grounds of his detention and pursuing legal remedies
3. Her entitlement to know her husband's condition after being held incommunicado since September 26
4. The fundamental right to peaceful freedom of expression and movement guaranteed to all Indian citizens
She argued that the detention and the subsequent surveillance violate the spirit and ethos of the Constitution of India, particularly Articles 21 and 22, which guarantee every citizen the fundamental right to legal representation.
"Shockingly, even this minimal right has been completely denied to us," she stated.
Appeal to the President
In her concluding remarks, Dr Angmo appealed to the President's "wisdom and good sense as the head of the state to intervene and inject voice of sanity in an otherwise chaotic state of affairs."
"We request for an unconditional release of Shri Sonam Wangchuk, a person who can never be a threat to anyone, leave alone his Nation. He has dedicated his life to serve the brave sons of soil of Ladakh and stands in solidarity with the Indian Army in defence of our great nation," she wrote.
The representation emphasized that Wangchuk's activism for Ladakh has always been rooted in strengthening India's borders and integrating peripheral regions through democratic mechanisms, specifically statehood or Union Territory status with legislative powers and inclusion under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.
Anti-National Allegations
Dr Angmo has vigorously contested allegations that her husband is "anti-national," taking to social media to highlight his concrete contributions to India's defense infrastructure. On X, she pointedly asked which anti-national commands respect and audience with Generals and Corps Commanders of the Indian Army, and which anti-national builds solar homes so that jawans and officers stay warm and fight effectively. She emphasized that Wangchuk builds thermal shelters for the Indian Army so soldiers can sleep warm, contrasting what she called "fake slogans" with his enduring service to the nation.
Speaking to media, Dr Angmo stressed that her husband's record of peaceful activism over the past five years directly contradicts the accusations against him. She described his fasts and marches advocating for implementation of the Sixth Schedule as conducted in a genuinely Gandhian manner with absolute non-violence, questioning why someone with such a track record would suddenly instigate violent protests.
She called the crackdown a "wrong branding" of Ladakh's peaceful character, asserting that no one is more peace-loving, patriotic, and nationalist than the people of Leh. Dr Angmo also alleged that security forces escalated the situation unnecessarily, claiming the youth were protesting peacefully until CRPF used tear gas.
Security agencies have cited Wangchuk's references to youth protests in Nepal and Bangladesh as evidence of provocation, and flagged his participation in a UN-backed climate conference in Pakistan as a possible link with the neighboring country. Dr Angmo dismissed these suggestions, explaining that his Pakistan visit was purely professional, for a climate conference organized by the United Nations and the Dawn media group.
In a pointed social media post, she asked whether India can play cricket with Pakistan while her husband's attendance at a UN climate conference there becomes suspect. She also rejected allegations of financial irregularities, calling her husband a humanitarian who spent his life on grassroots education and inspired generations of young Ladakhis, respected not only for his scientific achievements but also because he genuinely cares about people's hardships.
Background: The Ladakh Crisis
The detention of Sonam Wangchuk represents the latest escalation in the struggle over Ladakh's political status and environmental future since the last four years. Understanding the current crisis requires examining the constitutional and ecological concerns that have driven the region's activism since 2019.
The 2019 Reorganization
The roots of the present crisis lie in the Indian government's decision in August 2019 to bifurcate the former state of Jammu and Kashmir, creating two separate Union Territories: Jammu and Kashmir (with a legislature) and Ladakh (without a legislature). While many in Ladakh initially welcomed separation from the Kashmir Valley, the lack of legislative powers and the absence of constitutional protections have become major points of contention.
Unlike the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, the newly created Union Territory of Ladakh was not granted its own elected legislature. This means that laws for Ladakh are made by the Parliament of India, with the region administered by a Lieutenant Governor appointed by the central government.
Additionally, Ladakh was not granted protections under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, which provides autonomous district councils with significant powers over land, resources, and local governance in tribal areas across India.
The Four-Point Agenda
The Ladakhis, united under the Leh Apex Body and Kargil Democratic Alliance, have been advocating for what they call a "four-point agenda" for the region:
1. Statehood for Ladakh (or at minimum, Union Territory status with a legislature)
2. Inclusion under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, which would provide autonomous district councils with greater control over land and resources
3. Separate Lok Sabha seats for Leh and Kargil districts (currently, Ladakh has only one parliamentary constituency)
4. Employment opportunities for local youth in government positions
These demands stem from deep-seated concerns about Ladakh's distinct tribal identity, fragile mountain ecology, and the need for local communities to have a say in decisions affecting their land and livelihoods.
Environmental and Demographic Concerns
A significant driver of the activism has been concern about unchecked development and potential demographic changes in the region. Ladakh's ecosystem is extremely fragile, characterized by high-altitude deserts, limited water resources, and glaciers that are increasingly threatened by climate change.
The region's residents, predominantly Buddhist in Leh district and Muslim in Kargil district, fear that without constitutional safeguards similar to those protecting tribal areas elsewhere in India, Ladakh could face unregulated industrial development and land exploitation.
There are also concerns about demographic changes if outsiders are permitted to buy land and settle permanently in Ladakh, potentially diluting the political voice and cultural identity of indigenous communities. These anxieties are not unique to Ladakh; similar anxieties exist across Jammu and Kashmir post-2019.
The Ladakh struggle is intrinsically linked to the climate change impacts in Ladakh. The region's glaciers are retreating, affecting water availability for both civilian populations and agricultural activities. The Ladakhis are increasingly focused on the intersection of environmental protection and constitutional rights, arguing that local communities must have decision-making power over development projects that could affect Ladakh's fragile ecology.
This has put Ladakh’s activism at odds with authorities who view such activism as obstructionist to development plans.
Recent Escalation
The situation has intensified over the past year, with activists including Wangchuk undertaking various forms of peaceful protest, including hunger strikes, marches, and public awareness campaigns.
According to Dr. Angmo's representation, surveillance and pressure on activists has been mounting for four years, but has particularly escalated in the past month.
The immediate trigger for the current crisis was a series of protests that turned violent on September 24, 2025, in Leh.
Four people died and more than 80 were wounded when security forces opened fire on demonstrators. The violence erupted during protests following Wangchuk's two-week hunger strike from September 9, during which he demanded statehood for Ladakh and its inclusion under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution to safeguard land and resources. T
he Ramon Magsaysay Award winner was arrested after the firing incident, with authorities accusing him of being anti-national and allegedly linked to Pakistan, claims his supporters have rejected as false and baseless.
The aftermath of the September 24 violence has seen both major political alliances in Ladakh withdraw from scheduled talks with the central government. The Kargil Democratic Alliance joined the Apex Body Leh in pulling out of discussions with the Union home ministry's high-powered committee that had been planned for October 6.
KDA co-chairman Asgar Ali Karbalai stated in New Delhi that no talks would be possible unless a retired Supreme Court judge is appointed to investigate the firing, those arrested are freed, and charges against Wangchuk are withdrawn, emphasizing that dialogue cannot happen at gunpoint. The KDA called the withdrawal conditional, warning that if the Centre does not respond to their demands, they will be forced to launch an agitation.
LAHDC-Kargil chairman Mohammad Jaffer Akhoon urged Delhi to have a compassionate view of the situation rather than leaving everything to the Ladakh UT administration, demanding accountability for those who ordered the firing. Ladakh MP Mohmad Haneefa Jan said the killings could have been avoided and expressed deep sadness over a narrative being created to portray Ladakh's patriotic people as anti-national.
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