Gitanjali Angmo, wife of jailed Ladakh climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, has strongly rejected allegations that her husband has links with Pakistan or engaged in financial irregularities. Wangchuk was detained under the stringent National Security Act (NSA) and later shifted to a prison in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, after being accused of instigating the violence in Leh on 24 September.
Terming the allegations “misplaced,” Angmo said her husband has always protested in the “most Gandhian way possible.” She maintained that the escalation of violence during last week’s demonstrations was triggered by the actions of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).
“Sonam certainly is not a threat to any public order,” she said. “I think it is a very wrong charge. He has only reminded the government of its promises to Ladakhis through peaceful protests," added Angmo.
Gitanjali Angmo, co-founder of the Himalayan Institute of Alternative Learning (HIAL), dismissed these claims, saying her husband’s overseas visits were strictly professional and climate-related. “We attended a conference organised by the United Nations, and it was on climate change. The glacier on the top of the Himalayas is not going to see whether I’m flowing into Pakistan or India,” she said.
She explained that the ‘Breathe Pakistan’ conference held in February was a UN event co-hosted by Dawn Media and focused on climate cooperation among the Hindu Kush Himalayan countries. “There are organisations like ICIMOD, which bring together all eight Hindu Kush countries. We are part of ICIMOD’s Himalayan University Consortium,” said Angmo.
Sonam Wangchuk's wife also revealed that she had presented a paper at the event on women’s role in climate change, while Wangchuk praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s initiatives on stage. “The Pakistan narrative about Sonam Wangchuk is false and defamatory,” she said, pointing out that she had shared a video of her husband praising Mr Modi at the conference.
Angmo maintained that the protest on 24 September, organised by the Leh Apex Body, was intended to be peaceful. “We have videos to show that the students and the youth were just there for a peaceful protest. Sonam did not even know about [a non-peaceful plan],” she claimed.
She alleged the situation escalated only after CRPF personnel fired tear gas shells. “The youth reacted by pelting stones, and the whole situation escalated,” she said.
On allegations that Wangchuk gave a provocative speech, Angmo argued his words were mistranslated. “He just said, ‘When change has to happen, it can start with one individual, or with the death of one individual, and that individual could be me; I’m happy to give my life for it’,” she explained.
Her sharpest criticism was directed at the security forces. “My question is, who gave the CRPF the right to open fire? Why should you open fire on your own people, on your own youth?” she asked.
Responding to charges of financial misconduct involving their institutions, Angmo provided a detailed rebuttal. She insisted that HIAL had not taken foreign donations without FCRA clearance. “We have the service agreements, which say this is a consulting assignment that we’re giving to HIAL for which we will be paying them,” she said.
She added that HIAL, which has 400 students, does not charge fees and sustains itself through innovations such as ice stupas and passive solar buildings. “We do not patent our technologies, leaving them free for public use,” she emphasised.
Wangchuk’s wife further explained that HIAL had applied for UGC registration in 2022 and deposited ₹15 lakh, but the process was being “stalled.” She also pointed out that while questions were being raised about HIAL, the Sindhu Central University established in 2021 “still does not have a building.” On the cancellation of SECMOL’s FCRA licence earlier this month, she said the organisation founded by Wangchuk had been unfairly targeted.
Rejecting the attempt to brand her husband anti-national, Angmo said, “How can you portray a person as anti-national who has been talking about making shelters for the Indian Army, and boycotting Chinese goods?”
She argued that Wangchuk was not opposed to development, but to mindless exploitation. “This kind of mindful development is what he’s talking about… HIAL is at the forefront of innovation. It is not that he’s anti-development,” she said, citing the institute’s proposal for translucent solar panels in Changtang that could generate electricity while producing fodder for Pashmina goats.
Gitanjali also said that she has not been able to speak to her husband since his detention and has not received a copy of the detention order. “They promised to send it on Friday. We will take legal recourse,” she said.
On 24 September, protests demanding statehood and Sixth Schedule status for Ladakh turned violent in Leh, leaving four people dead and 90 others injured. Two days later, Wangchuk was taken into preventive custody, and on Friday, he was formally arrested under the NSA, which permits detention without trial for up to 12 months.
His arrest has drawn sharp reactions from across Ladakh, where Wangchuk has been a leading voice in the five-year-long movement for constitutional safeguards.
Ladakh DGP S. D. Singh Jamwal has alleged that Wangchuk is being probed for possible links with Pakistan. He cited the arrest of a Pakistani intelligence operative last month who allegedly sent videos of Wangchuk’s protests across the border. The police chief also raised questions about Wangchuk’s foreign trips, including his participation in a conference organised by Pakistan’s Dawn newspaper.
