Smokescreen is being created to defame Wangchuk, says wife Gitanjali
Angmo, who is also an educator like her husband, gave a press conference and also gave interviews to various news agencies including PTI and ANI
Gitanjali Angmo, wife of incarcerated Leh activist Sonam Wangchuk, lashed out at the police, CRPF and Union home ministry for situation in Ladakh during September 24 violence, while also defending her husband’s hunger strike saying he has always been “Gandhian” in his ways and was being made a “scapegoat” to weaken his movement on Sixth Schedule status to Ladakh.
Angmo, who is also an educator like her husband, gave a press conference and also gave interviews to various news agencies including PTI and ANI.
“All the narratives which are being spread against Sonam Wangchuk and his institute SECMOL and HIAL are false. We condemn these false allegations. We challenge anyone and we can present facts and evidence... A smoke screen is being created to defame him and a narrative is being created so that his movement on the sixth schedule is weakened,” Angmo told the media conference.
Climate activist, Wangchuk, was arrested on Friday under National Security Act for allegedly instigating violence in Leh on September 24 in which four persons were killed and around 100 injured after protesters went on a rampage and police and CRPF lobbed tears gas shells and opened fire.
Home ministry, in a statement, had said “It is clear that the mob was incited by Shri Sonam Wangchuk through his provocative statements.”
On Thursday, the home ministry cancelled the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) licence of the SECMOL, one of the organisations founded by Wangchuk, with “immediate effect”.
The director general of police in Leh, SD Singh Jamwal, cited Wangchuk’s visit to Pakistan during a press conference on Saturday while defending his arrest saying that he is being probed for allegedly having links with Pakistan on the back of last month’s arrest of a Pakistani Intelligence Operative who sent videos of his protests across the border.
“Sonam attended a conference in Pakistan. What is wrong with that. In February UN and Dawn media had organised a conference on climate change...There was nothing wrong in that meeting , even though he praised PM Modi’s ‘Mission Life’ on the podium. If that is used to portray a different thing that a Pakistani was in Ladakh, then how did this breach of protocol happen? It is not Sonam who has to answer this but the ministry of home affairs that a Pakistani was seen in Ladakh,” Angmo said.
“India can play cricket with Pakistan, Mr Modi visits China- nobody asks the questions because we know the intent is right,” she said.
She said that all the statements by DGP were condemnable.”Not only me, the whole Ladakh is condemning that. A narrative is being created to blame and frame someone...,” she said.
She said that the protests by youth in Leh on September 24 would not have turned violent, had CRPF abstained from opening fire and using tear gas. “Whatever happened is very unfortunate...Who gave the CRPF orders to open fire on their own people. Who opens fire on their own citizens, especially in an area where there has never been any violent protest,” she said.
She asked what Sonam Wangchuk had instigated when he was on hunger strike. “ He had no inkling of this(violence). He was somewhere else where his hunger strike was going on,” she said.
“DGP has to make a person a ‘scapegoat’ as they don’t have to provide the sixth schedule. All his claims are false,” she alleged.
She questioned that when there was no violence in the past five years of protests, why now. “See the past five years of peaceful protests, the person who is following that path, he will never allow such a thing ( violence) to happen,’ she said.
“Videos have come of people sitting peacefully. The plan was of peaceful protest and candle march. If someone doesn’t respect that and lobs teargas, that triggered stone pelting by students and then the issue escalates,” she alleged.
She said that no one is more peace-loving, patriotic, and nationalist than the people of Leh. “First of all, imposing curfew in such areas is absolutely wrong, and we condemn it. Secondly, we condemn the reason given for this curfew, which is the youth protest. Because the youth were protesting in a peace-loving manner that day. Had the CRPF not used tear gas, this would have been a very peaceful protest,” she said.
“Over the past five years, Sonam Wangchuk’s fasts and marches advocating for the implementation of the 6th schedule have been conducted in a genuinely Gandhian manner, emphasising absolute non-violence. Sonam Wangchuk is more than just a scientist; he inspires young people. People respect him not only for his scientific achievements but also because he is a humanitarian who truly cares about people’s hardships... He spent his life on grassroots education. Why would someone like this instigate violent protests and be blamed?,” she said.
