Sonam Wangchuk’s detention under the National Security Act (NSA) has sparked outrage, with his wife Gitanjali J. Angmo writing to President Murmu demanding his immediate release, describing the detention as “illegal” and “deplorable
In a sternly worded three-page letter, Angmo, founder and CEO of the Himalayan Institute of Alternatives, Ladakh (HIAL), charged the government with initiating a “full-scale witch-hunt” against Wangchuk and subjecting her family and institute to continual surveillance.
Since Sonam Wangchuk’s arrest, the authorities have denied Angmo permission to visit him or contact him by phone or in person. She also questioned a directive issued to HIAL’s security staff requesting personal details of students, residential staff, and trainees including photos and phone numbers.
“State agencies and the State itself are harassing us and have followed us under observation. This is a breach of Articles 21 and 22 of the Constitution, which promise basic rights to people,” Angmo declared.
She also alleged that authorities denied Sonam Wangchuk permission to carry clothes and essential medical. “I don’t know if he has received basic facilities like medicines that he requires on a day-to-day basis,” she stated.
Background of Detention
Activist Wangchuk was detained days after September 24 violent protests in Leh in which four individuals were killed in police firing. The protests focused on the demands for Ladakh statehood and placing it under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.
Authorities invoked the NSA, citing national security reasons, and shifted Wangchuk to Jodhpur Jail in Rajasthan. His arrest has since provoked widespread discontent among activists, civil society organizations, and Ladakhi citizens alike, most of whom see him as a Gandhian icon of ecological conservation and people’s empowerment.
“A Son of Ladakh, Not a Threat”
Referring to her husband as a “peaceful Gandhian protestor with an impeccable record of service,” Angmo claimed that Wangchuk has always labored to reinforce India’s borders and unity in Ladakh.
To treat the son of Ladakh’s soil in such a shabby manner is not merely a sin but also a strategic blunder in establishing robust borders with amity,” she added. She reminded the government how Wangchuk had helped design habitations for the Indian Army in severe Himalayan conditions.
Angmo asked whether it was “a sin to resist mindless and unchecked development activities” in Ladakh’s delicate environment, pointing out that what had happened in Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and the North-East should have acted as an eye-opener for policymakers regarding the dangers of unbridled projects in ecologically sensitive regions.
Appeal to the President
In her appeal to President Murmu, Angmo emphasized that Wangchuk has never posed a danger to national security. “We seek an unconditional release of Wangchuk, an individual who has devoted his life to Ladakh’s service, to the cause of education, awareness about climate change, and integration of India through democratic processes,” she wrote.
Duplicates of her representation have also been forwarded to the Prime Minister’s Office, Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Law and Justice, and to the Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh.
With Ladakh still seeing unrest and mounting demands for statehood, Wangchuk’s detention has turned into a flashpoint, with questions raised regarding the balance between security initiatives and democratic freedoms.
FOR MORE : https://civiclens.in/category/national-news-civiclens-in/
About the Author
