Sonam Wangchuk's Wife Pleads With President and PM Modi for Husband's Release From NSA Detention

Gitanjali J Angmo, the wife of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, has sent heartfelt appeals to President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting her husband's release from detention under the National Security Act (NSA) in Jodhpur.

In her passionate letter, Angmo claimed that a "full-scale witch hunt" has been ongoing for a month against her husband, attempting to break the spirit of the renowned climate activist. She firmly asserted that Wangchuk "can never be a threat to anyone, let alone his nation."

Angmo addressed her concerns not only to the Prime Minister and President but also to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Ladakh Lieutenant Governor Kavinder Gupta, Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, and the Leh District Collector. She also shared the letter publicly on social media platform X.

In her appeal, she raised several poignant questions: "Am I not entitled to meet and speak with my husband on the phone and in person wherever he is detained? Can I not assist my husband in understanding his grounds for detention and help him seek justice through legal channels? Am I not entitled to know the condition of my husband, who has been in detention since September 26, 2025, with no communication with me or anyone close to us? As responsible Indian citizens, are we not entitled to peaceful freedom of expression and movement?"

Angmo expressed her frustration at being unable to meet her husband despite receiving assurances from officials. She mentioned receiving a message from police stating they would contact her once Wangchuk reached Jodhpur jail, but as of October 1, 2025, no such communication had occurred.

"I remain completely unaware of my husband's condition. I was also told the officer would explain my legal rights, which has not happened. I am shocked and devastated. I was placed under CRPF surveillance in Village Phyang, where our Institute is located. Students and staff of the Institute were also under tight surveillance," she stated in her letter. Angmo is a founder of the Himalayan Institute of Alternatives Ladakh (HIAL).

Sonam Wangchuk was arrested under the NSA on September 26 and subsequently transferred to Jodhpur jail. His arrest followed violent protests in Leh that resulted in at least four fatalities. Authorities temporarily relaxed restrictions under section 163 of BNSS for a few hours on Tuesday, allowing residents to purchase essential items. The protesters have been demanding the region's inclusion in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution. Law enforcement has arrested 44 individuals in connection with the violence.