‘Shocked and devastated’: Sonam Wangchuk’s wife appeals to PM Modi, President Murmu for his release

Climate activist’s wife says she has no access to husband detained under NSA; alleges surveillance on staff, students in Ladakh

Gitanjali J Angmo, wife of Ladakh-based climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Droupadi Murmu seeking her husband’s release, according to ANI. Wangchuk, known globally for his work on sustainable technologies and education, has been in detention under the National Security Act (NSA) since September 26, 2025, following protests in Leh that turned violent.

In her letter, also addressed to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, Ladakh Lieutenant Governor Kavinder Gupta, and the Leh District Collector, Angmo said she has been denied any form of communication with her husband.

‘A full-scale witch hunt’

Calling the detention a “full-scale witch hunt unleashed to kill the spirit of the climate activist,” Angmo insisted that Wangchuk “can never be a threat to anyone, let alone his nation.”

According to ANI, she questioned whether she, as a spouse and citizen, had no right to speak to her husband, know the grounds of his detention, or even assist him in accessing legal recourse.

“Am I not entitled to meet and speak with my husband wherever he is detained? Am I not entitled to know his condition, or help him seek justice before the court of law?” Angmo asked in her letter.

Silence despite assurances

Angmo said she was told by officials that she would be contacted once Wangchuk was moved to Jodhpur jail. However, she claims no such call came. “Till today, October 1, the officer has not called me or made me speak to my husband. I am completely unaware of his condition. Even assurances about explaining my legal rights have not been fulfilled,” she alleged.

She further stated that she was placed under CRPF surveillance at their Village Phyang residence, where the Himalayan Institute of Alternatives Ladakh (HIAL), co-founded by Wangchuk, is located. According to her, students and staff at HIAL were also monitored.

Why was Wangchuk detained?

Wangchuk’s arrest under the NSA followed violent clashes in Leh during protests demanding Ladakh’s inclusion in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution. The unrest left at least four people dead and led to the arrest of 44 others.

Authorities had imposed restrictions under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) across the region, though curbs were briefly eased this week to allow residents to purchase essentials.

A climate activist turned dissenter

Sonam Wangchuk, often hailed as an “education reformer and climate warrior,” rose to prominence with sustainable innovations in Ladakh and his role in shaping alternative education through HIAL. His detention has drawn attention beyond Ladakh, with activists and citizens framing it as a test of India’s approach to dissent, ecological rights, and democracy in sensitive border regions.