Sonam Wangchuk witch-hunt allegations have sparked outrage in Ladakh. His wife, Gitanjali Angmo, dismissed the charges as baseless attempts to derail the Sixth Schedule movement.
Gitanjali Angmo, Wangchuk’s wife, labeled the accusations as a witch-hunt. She stated that Ivan himself falsely reports as being anti-national. A reformer and environmental activist, Wangchuk was detained and arrested in Leh under the National Security Act (NSA). He was
alleged to have organized violence associated with protests on September 24, resulting in four deaths and multiple injuries. He was subsequently transferred to Jodhpur jail in Rajasthan.
Unsubstantiated Rumors and Branding as Anti-National.
Angmo accused the government of forwarding unsubstantiated reports (not proven) of Wangchuk in connection with Pakistan. She dared them to speak freely, on charges. She also stated she did not receive any official documentation on the reduction issue. The said case looks deliberate and serves to dilute the demand for sixth schedule status for Ladakh.
She also stated she was nearly put under house arrest in Leh. This required going to Delhi to make public
declarations, she asserts. In her sense of substitution, institutions like CBI and Income Tax possess inherently such institutional documents explaining their finances to themselves.
Financial Allegations and the Sonam Wangchuk Witch-Hunt
Angmo dismissed the allegations that there were FCRA violations and financial irregularities at HIAL and SECMOL. Angmo said, “HIAL is a source of income through research services. It is an export.” She stated that SECMOL lost FCRA registration based on a misunderstanding of “food sovereignty.”
Angmo also asked why Wangchuk’s Magsaysay Award is being questioned and stated that close to 60 Indians have received the Magsaysay Award, including Vinoba Bhave and Satyajit Ray. She noted that 20 of them also received a Padma award.
Pakistan Link Accusations and UN Conference Visit
authorities alleged that Wangchuk’s protests were shared with a career operative of Pakistan. In response she said that the MHA needs to explain how that happened. Her statement was, “If they are claiming that a Pakistani was spotted in Ladakh, our question is — ‘how did you allow the security breach’?
She defended Wangchuk’s visit to Pakistan in February for a UN climate meeting, noting that he spoke about Prime Minister Modi’s Mission LiFE during that meeting. She explained that Wangchuk always advocates within a Gandhian framework.
Sixth Schedule Movement Targeted Through the Sonam Wangchuk Witch-Hunt
Angmo accused the administration of trying to tar Wangchuk in order to destabilize the Sixth Schedule movement. She implicated the Union Territory administration for the violence in September, saying that her husband was not to blame. “Sonam was sitting at the locus of the hunger strike. He never instigated the mob,” she said.
She has noticed that Wangchuk’s proposals, such as passive solar-heated buildings and the Ice Stupa, have received enthusiasm from the government. HIAL (the Himalayan Institute of Alternatives in Ladakh) says that its initiatives save 4000 tonnes of carbon each month. “If he’s anti-national, why then has it rewarded him for innovation?” she queried.
Conclusion: Resisting Witch Hunt
Angmo reported that her legal representatives are awaiting formal orders of arrest. She guaranteed that she would make use of the most highly regarded legal obligations of India to advocate for Wangchuk and added that no one should think that they could intimidate their constitutional movement in Ladakh. “We will not stop fighting until the truth is known,” she asserted.
For more context on the ongoing demands for Ladakh’s constitutional safeguards under the Sixth Schedule, readers can refer to The Hindu’s detailed coverage on Ladakh’s Sixth Schedule demand.
At this time, when Leh is under curfew, security personnel are surrounding HIAL’s campus. The hunt for Sonam Wangchuk is personal for Angmo, but it is also much more than that: it reflects an attempt to suppress Ladakh’s struggle for identity, rights, and ecological justice.
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