Sonam Wangchuk’s Wife Refutes Pakistan Link Allegations, Questions Detention
Gitanjali Angmo, wife of jailed activist and innovator Sonam Wangchuk, has strongly denied claims that her husband has connections with Pakistan or misused funds through his organisations. She also criticised the role of the security forces for the violence that broke out during the recent statehood demonstrations in Leh.
According to the police, action was taken in self-defence after crowds turned aggressive and set fire to the local office of the ruling party. Angmo, who co-founded the Himalayan Institute of Alternative Learning (HIAL), revealed that she has not been able to speak with Wangchuk since he was taken into custody. She added that no detention papers have been shown to her since he was arrested on Friday under the National Security Act, following protests demanding Ladakh’s statehood and Sixth Schedule status. Wangchuk, a key voice in the Ladakh movement, has been moved to Jodhpur prison in Rajasthan.
Speaking to PTI over the phone, Angmo responded to Ladakh UT police chief SD Singh Jamwal’s remarks that Wangchuk is under investigation for alleged links with Pakistan, including a trip to the neighbouring country for an event organised by Dawn Media. She clarified that the visit was strictly professional and focused on environmental concerns, noting that all of Wangchuk’s international trips were made on invitations from respected universities and global institutions.
Angmo explained that the Pakistan visit was part of a United Nations–hosted conference centred on climate change. “The glaciers in the Himalayas are not limited by borders; they affect both India and Pakistan,” she said. Wangchuk, known for his innovation and climate activism, has been carrying out peaceful hunger strikes to protest changes in Ladakh’s status and land protections after the region was separated from Jammu and Kashmir and designated a Union Territory.
The police chief had also referred to a recently apprehended Pakistani intelligence operative who allegedly circulated videos of Wangchuk’s protests across the border. Addressing this, Angmo said the event her husband attended, called Breathe Pakistan, was organised by the United Nations’ Pakistan chapter and Dawn Media and aimed at fostering multinational collaboration. She added that organisations such as the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) routinely bring together countries of the Hindu Kush region, and Wangchuk participates in the Himalayan University Consortium under ICIMOD’s initiatives.