By News18,Yimkumla Longkumer

Copyright news18

Gitanjali J. Angmo, wife of arrested activist Sonam Wangchuk, has written to the President of India, Prime Minister, Home Minister, Law Minister, and the Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, demanding her husband’s immediate release. In her appeal, she questioned whether it “was a sin” to support the people’s cause.
Wangchuk was arrested on September 26 (Friday) by Leh Police under the National Security Act (NSA), days after violent protests in Ladakh left four people dead and over 90 injured. He was later shifted to Central Jail in Jodhpur, Rajasthan.
In her letter, Angmo, co-founder and CEO of the Himalayan Institute of Alternatives, Ladakh (HIAL), raised concerns about the conditions of Wangchuk’s detention and the complete lack of communication since his arrest.

I have sent this representation for the immediate release of Shri Sonam Wangchuk to the President of India, Prime Minister of India, Home Minister, Law Minister of India, and the LG of Ladakh, with a cc to DC Leh. pic.twitter.com/6Y0xa46sNK
— Gitanjali J Angmo (@GitanjaliAngmo) October 1, 2025

She stated that no First Information Report (FIR) had initially been filed. The only information she received was via a phone call and a text message from the local police, informing her that Wangchuk had been detained and moved to Jodhpur.
“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,” Angmo wrote.
“I was also told the officer would explain to me my legal rights. Even that has not been done till today. I am shocked and devastated,” she added.
She also alleged that both she and members of the HIAL community — including students and staff — have been placed under surveillance. Two staff members were reportedly taken into custody without clear legal grounds. Media personnel were also barred from entering the campus, which she believes is an attempt to silence them.
According to Angmo, Wangchuk was not even allowed to carry his personal belongings or essential medicines, despite being physically weakened after a 15-day hunger strike.
In the letter, Angmo asked the President whether it was a crime to raise awareness about climate change, melting glaciers, education reform, and the rights of local communities in Ladakh.
“Is it a sin to espouse the cause of people and fight against reckless and unchecked development activities in a ecology fragile area of Ladakh?” she asked.
She also criticised the government’s treatment of Wangchuk, calling it not only “a sin but a strategic error”, especially considering his years of service to the region and contributions to the Indian Army, such as developing energy-efficient shelters for soldiers in high-altitude areas.
“My husband Shri Sonam Wangchuk has always stood for the solidarity of India and the strengthening of our borders and the integration of its peripheral regions through a strong democratic mechanism – Statehood/UT with legislation and 6th Schedule,” she wrote.
Angmo’s letter ended with a heartfelt appeal to the President to uphold the principles of justice and ensure the unconditional release of Wangchuk.
“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 noted.