New Delhi, Jan 16: Gitanjali Angmo, wife of climate activist and educator Sonam Wangchuk, has criticised the authorities over his continued detention under the National Security Act (NSA), calling it a misuse of power and citing multiple procedural lapses.
Wangchuk, a Magsaysay Award winner, was detained on September 26, 2025, following protests in Ladakh demanding statehood and Sixth Schedule status, which left four people dead and 90 injured. He was taken to Jodhpur jail.
Angmo said the Solicitor General has been repeatedly seeking adjournments, indicating that the case lacks merit. She highlighted that Wangchuk did not receive crucial videos supporting his detention within the NSA-mandated timeline, only getting them on the 28th day, which she claims violates Sections 8 and 11 of the Act. She added that the grounds cited for his detention are largely outdated, and several FIRs relied upon do not even name him.
She also alleged that the district magistrate’s order was largely “copy-paste” from police proposals, without independent application of mind, making the detention potentially invalid.
Angmo has filed a habeas corpus petition in the Supreme Court challenging the detention and demanding Wangchuk’s release. She stressed that the case is not political but expressed concern over delays and broader societal polarisation.
The detention has also affected the functioning of the Himalayan Institute of Alternatives, Ladakh (HIAL) and SECMOL, which Wangchuk co-founded. Planned educational projects, including a teacher training fellowship and a new K-12 school, have been delayed, and some donors have reported pressure not to fund the institutions.
Despite the challenges, Angmo said public awareness about HIAL has grown, and she remains hopeful that support for their initiatives will continue once the legal matters are resolved.
