Ladakh: Gitanjali J Angmo, wife of detained climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, has accused the Centre of targeting her husband for his continued campaign for Ladakh’s statehood and inclusion under the Sixth Schedule.
In an interview with NDTV, she said she has had no information on his whereabouts for more than two days and described the case against him as part of a “witch hunt” that began four years ago.
Here's what she alleged:
Angmo alleged that harassment against Wangchuk escalated after Ladakhis’ demands for a legislature and Sixth Schedule protections went unmet despite their support for the ruling party. “Trouble began when the expectations of Ladakhis of getting a legislature and bringing the mountainous region under the Sixth Schedule turned, instead, into a never-ending wait despite voting for the BJP in large numbers and supporting the party at every turn,” she told NDTV.
She cited pressure over foreign funding licences, including the cancellation of the Students’ Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh (SECMOL) licence under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act. “SECMOL already had a licence under the FCRA until last week when the Ministry of Home Affairs cancelled it citing five alleged violations, including the use of foreign funds to ‘study national sovereignty’,” Angmo told the publication. She stressed that all funds had been used for legitimate educational and developmental purposes.
Response to allegations of Wangchuk's 'links' with Pakistan
Responding to claims about her husband’s alleged links to Pakistan, Angmo said the accusations were baseless. “What has been the MHA doing that a Pakistani intelligence person is roaming here? They have failed in their duty. I want them to be answerable,” she told NDTV. She explained that Wangchuk’s visit to Pakistan was scientific, not political, linked to climate change conferences such as the UN-backed Breathe Pakistan event.
Angmo also dismissed accusations that Wangchuk incited violence during protests, insisting he had stopped his fast and condemned unrest to protect demonstrators. She added that the government’s interpretation of “sovereignty” in FCRA violations was flawed. “One of the points in the ministry's notification was about the sovereignty of the nation... It was about food sovereignty for heaven's sake. Food sovereignty is when you grow your own food,” she said.
