Gitanjali Angmo, wife of Ladakh activist Sonam Wangchuk, has appealed to President Droupadi Murmu for his immediate release. Wangchuk, detained under the NSA after violent Leh protests, is accused of inciting unrest.
Bengaluru: Gitanjali Angmo, wife of prominent climate advocate and Ladakh activist Sonam Wangchuk, has penned an appeal to Indian President Droupadi Murmu requesting her husband’s immediate and unconditional freedom. Wangchuk was taken into custody and transferred to Jodhpur following allegations that he encouraged violent demonstrations in Ladakh which killed four people and injured many. In her letter to the President, Gitanjali claimed that authorities have been conducting a systematic campaign against her husband over recent weeks, which she believes aims to suppress his advocacy work. “For the past month especially, and covertly over four years, there has been a comprehensive effort to break my husband’s resolve regarding the issues he champions,” she stated in her petition to Murmu.
Gitanjali questioned whether advocating for environmental concerns, glacier preservation, education system improvements, and community-level innovation should be considered criminal activity. She emphasized that peacefully raising concerns about an ecologically vulnerable region cannot reasonably be classified as endangering national security. Drawing on the President’s own heritage, she made a personal appeal, “Coming from a tribal community yourself, you would have special insight into the sentiments of Ladakh’s residents.” She urged Murmu to exercise her authority as head of state to restore order to what she characterized as a confused situation. “As India’s President, you represent fairness, justice and moral conscience. We ask for the immediate release of Sonam Wangchuk, someone who poses no danger to anyone, certainly not to his country. His life’s work has been dedicated to serving Ladakh’s people and supporting the Indian Army in protecting our nation,” Gitanjali wrote.
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Why Was Sonam Wangchuk Detained?
Sonam Wangchuk was detained under National Security Act (NSA) provisions on September 26 and subsequently moved to a Jodhpur detention facility. His arrest followed violent incidents during demonstrations in Leh that resulted in at least four fatalities. Authorities had implemented Section 163 restrictions under BNSS in the area, though these have been partially relaxed to permit residents to purchase necessary supplies. Those demonstrating have been calling for Ladakh to receive full statehood status and for the territory to be incorporated under the Constitution’s Sixth Schedule framework. This constitutional provision, found in Articles 244(2) and 275(1), governs tribal area administration in several northeastern states including Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram, and provides for establishing autonomous district councils with special administrative powers.
Civil society organizations have warned that his continued imprisonment threatens democratic freedoms and could push Ladakh deeper into crisis. The People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) issued a statement demanding Wangchuk’s immediate release, calling his detention arbitrary and unconstitutional. The NSA permits preventive detention for up to two years without trial, a provision PUCL argues is being misused to silence democratic dissent. Director General of Police SD Singh Jamwal defended the security forces’ actions, claiming they prevented the entire city from being destroyed. He attributed the violence to what he termed “vested interests” and blamed Wangchuk for inciting unrest. Federal authorities have similarly accused Wangchuk of making inflammatory statements.