‘Being a tribal, you'll understand…’: Sonam Wangchuk's wife writes to President Murmu, copy to PM Modi, Shah

Sonam Wangchuk's wife Gitanjali Angmo has been alleging a “witch hunt” against the jailed activist.

Jailed activist Sonam Wangchuk's wife Gitanjali Angmo wrote to President Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday, appealing to her tribal background to understand the feelings of the people of Ladakh against the backdrop of the protests and her husband's arrest.

Sonam Wangchuk's wife Gitanjali Angmo also claimed that she has not been made to speak with the jailed activist since his arrest.

In the letter, which she also sent to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, Angmo calls for an "unconditional release" of Sonam Wangchuk, whom she described as a "peaceful Gandhian protester" agitating for climate change and upliftment of a backward tribal belt.

Sonam Wangchuk was arrested in Leh last week following the violent protests over the demand for extension of protections under Sixth Schedule and statehood to Ladakh. He was charged under the stringent National Security Act (NSA) and shifted to the Jodhpur Central Jail.

Wangchuk's wife has been alleging a “witch hunt” against the jailed activist.

Angmo said that on September 26, Leh Inspector Rigzin Gurmet informed her that Wangchuk had been detained under Section 3(2) of the NSA, and that he was being shifted to Jodhpur Central Jail.

‘Not spoken to Wangchuk since arrest’

She said that ASP Rishabh Shukla, who they said was accompanying Wangchuk to Jodhpur, would make her speak with him upon landing.

"He also informed me that it is not an arrest as there is no FIR, but a detention under NSA," Angmo added.

However, Wangchuk's wife said, the officer has not called her or made her speak with the jailed activist to date. She said she was told that the officer would explain her legal rights, which Angmo claimed has also not been done.

Further, Agmo claimed that she was put under CRPF surveillance in Village Phyang, where her institute, the Himalayan Institute of Alternatives (HIAL), is situated.

Gitanjali Angmo is the founder and CEO of HIAL, Ladakh.

"Two members of the Institute were taken into police custody over the past three days, presumably without any authority of law," she wrote in her letter.

Gitanjali Angmo wrote that Sonam Wangchuk was not allowed to take his clothes at the time of detention. "I am not aware whether he has been given fresh clothes and basic amenities including medicines that he needs on a daily basis, especially after his fast of 15 days in September 2025 that has weakened him physically," she added.

Wangchuk's wife said she received a copy of the communication at her Institute on Tuesday, which informed her about an FIR and sought cooperation in the investigation.

‘A peaceful Gandhian protester’

"A full-scale witch hunt has been unleashed for the past one month in particular, and for the past four years covertly, to kill the spirit of my husband and all the causes he stands for and espouses," Angmo wrote.

Wangchuk's wife asked President Murmu, "Is it a crime to speak about climate change, melting glaciers, educational reforms and grassroot innovation? To raise one's voice for the upliftment of a backward tribal belt, which is ecologically fragile, in a peaceful Gandhian manner for the last four years? It certainly cannot be termed as a threat to national security".

Angmo said that people of the country are reaching out to her in solidarity and support, and are "shocked" by the Centre's action against "a peaceful Gandhian protester with an impeccable track record of service to the nation".

‘Being from a tribal community…’

Angmo said that Ladakh is known for its nationalism and support for the Indian Army, adding that the Ladakh Scouts are the biggest support system of the force in the region. She added that Wangchuk has been building shelters for the Indian Army in the region.

"To treat the son of the soil of Ladakh so shabbily is not just a SIN, but a strategic error for building strong borders with solidarity and peaceful coexistence. My husband Shri Sonam Wangchuk has always stood for the solidarity of India and the strengthening of our borders and the integration of its peripheral regions through a strong democratic mechanism - Statehood/UT with legislation and 6th Schedule," Angmo wrote.

She asked whether it was a sin to support the cause of the people and fight against reckless and unchecked development activities in an ecologically fragile area of Ladakh.

"Your Excellency, you being from a tribal community/background, would understand the feelings of the people of Leh Ladakh better than anyone else," Wangchuk's wife said.

She posed four questions to President Murmu, asking whether she was entitled to meet and speak with Wangchuk over a phone call and in-person; whether she can be of assistance to her husband, to know the reasons for his arrest and his legal rights; whether she can know the condition of her husband; and whether the peace are entitled to peaceful freedom of expression and movement as responsible citizens of India.

‘Unconditional release’ of Sonam Wangchuk

Angmo also condemned the treatment given by the State and its agencies, terming the imposition of surveillance as "deplorable".

"It is violative of the spirit and ethos of the Constitution of India, including Articles 21 and 22, which guarantee every citizen the fundamental right to legal representation. Shockingly, even this minimal right has been completely denied to us," she wrote.

Wangchuk's wife further said, "Your Excellency, we appeal to your wisdom and good sense as the head of the state to intervene and inject a voice of sanity in an otherwise chaotic state of affairs. As the President of India, you embody the principles of Equity, Justice and Conscience!"

She called for an "unconditional release" of Sonam Wangchuk, whom she said is a person "who can never be a threat to anyone, let alone his nation".

Wangchuk's wife had earlier as well said that her husband was being made a "scapegoat" to weaken his movement on the rights of Ladakh. She had said that a smoke screen was being created to defame the jailed activist.

MP not allowed to meet Wangchuk at Jodhpur

Meanwhile, at the Jodhpur Central Jail, where Sonam Wangchuk is currently lodged, CPI-M MP Amra Ram was reportedly denied permission to meet the activist. Ram said that he went to meet Wangchuk on Tuesday evening, but was instead met with police barricades.

He wrote to the jail superintendent seeking permission to meet Wangchuk, but the administration cited rules and refused.

The Sikar MP asked the government to clarify under what conditions it would allow a meeting with Wangchuk.