• Source:JND
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Ladakh activist Sonam Wangchuk’s wife, Gitanjali Angmo, has written to President Droupadi Murmu, urging her to intervene in her husband’s detention under the National Security Act (NSA). In her letter, Angmo appealed to the President’s tribal background to understand the pain of Ladakh’s people and demanded the “unconditional release” of her husband.

The letter, also marked to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, described Wangchuk as a “peaceful Gandhian protester” who has consistently spoken on climate change, education reforms and the rights of Ladakh’s tribal communities.

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Detention Under NSA

Wangchuk was taken into custody in Leh last week after protests demanding statehood for Ladakh and inclusion under the Sixth Schedule turned violent. He was detained under Section 3(2) of the NSA and shifted to Jodhpur Central Jail. Angmo said she was informed about the detention by Leh Inspector Rigzin Gurmet on September 26, but has not been able to speak to her husband since then.

She added that Additional Superintendent of Police Rishabh Shukla, who accompanied Wangchuk to Jodhpur, had assured her she would be allowed to talk to him after his arrival. “He also informed me that it is not an arrest as there is no FIR, but a detention under NSA,” Angmo said. However, she claimed the promise was never honoured and she was not briefed about her legal rights.

Allegations Of harassment

In her letter, Angmo alleged a “witch hunt” was underway against Wangchuk and his colleagues at the Himalayan Institute of Alternatives (HIAL) in Phyang, where she serves as CEO. She said, “Two members of the Institute were taken into police custody over the past three days, presumably without any authority of law.”

Angmo also claimed she had been placed under CRPF surveillance at the institute premises. She said Wangchuk was not allowed to take his belongings at the time of detention. “I am not aware whether he has been given fresh clothes and basic amenities including medicines that he needs on a daily basis, especially after his fast of 15 days in September 2025 that has weakened him physically,” she wrote.

Questioning The charges

Calling her husband a “peaceful Gandhian protester,” Angmo questioned whether speaking about “climate change, melting glaciers, educational reforms and grassroot innovation” could be labelled a threat to national security. “To raise one’s voice for the upliftment of a backward tribal belt, which is ecologically fragile, in a peaceful Gandhian manner for the last four years, certainly cannot be termed as a crime,” she wrote.

She added, “A full-scale witch hunt 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.”

Appeal To The President

Highlighting Ladakh’s contributions to the Indian Army through the Ladakh Scouts, Angmo reminded the President of Wangchuk’s work in building shelters for soldiers in extreme weather. “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 said.

She asked four questions in her letter to President Murmu, including whether she could speak to her husband by phone or in person, learn the reason for his detention, and be informed about his legal rights and health condition.

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“Your Excellency, you being from a tribal community/background, would understand the feelings of the people of Leh Ladakh better than anyone else,” she added.

Angmo concluded her letter demanding Wangchuk’s “unconditional release,” writing: “He is a person who can never be a threat to anyone, let alone his nation.”

Meanwhile, in Jodhpur, CPI-M MP Amra Ram said he was not permitted to meet Wangchuk at the Central Jail. He claimed he was stopped at police barricades on Tuesday evening and was later informed that jail rules did not allow a meeting. The MP has asked the government to clarify under what conditions visitors would be permitted to meet the activist.