Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, who was detained from Leh on September 26 last year, has spent over 100 days in Jodhpur jail even as the next hearing on an appeal by his wife Gitanjali Angmo in the Supreme Court, challenging his detention under National Security Act (NSA), is listed for January 7. The last hearing in the top court was on December 15.
The maximum detention period under the NSA is 12 months, though it can be revoked earlier.
Besides Angmo’s legal battle against the arrest of her husband, the representative bodies within Ladakh — the Apex Body Leh (ABL) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) — have also sought his release, making this a key condition for continuing talks with the Centre on statehood and Sixth Schedule status for Ladakh.
“It’s been a challenging time with extreme stress. For the first time I was handling an issue of this magnitude and you’re taking on the Union of India, at loggerheads with the top two people of this country,” Angmo told The Indian Express. She, however, also acknowledged the “tremendous goodwill the people have for Sonam and for our institute and for us… the grassroots support, including in the jail”, along with pro bono support from senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Vivek Tankha.
Angmo also flagged the setback to the work at the Himalayan Institute of Alternative Learning (HIAL) that she heads as founder and CEO. “I am not just busy in the Supreme Court case, there are also summons and queries from the IT department, the ED, the GST department — I’m handling all of that and then remotely also guiding HIAL. There is a second line of leadership that is holding the fort very well,” she added.
She said Wangchuk is allowed to meet family members twice a week, for an hour each and she was juggling time between Jodhpur and Delhi. “Meeting him for an hour involves two days of travel for me. To go there and stay overnight and then meet him and be back,” she said, adding that Wangchuk’s elder brother could also meet him recently.
Angmo said the top court “need not have taken 100 days to decide this matter”, adding that she has submitted multiple rejoinders in the court regarding the delays on part of the government. “For them it’s another day but for Sonam it means, another week, another month,” she said.
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In their last communication with the Ministry of Home Affairs, the ABL and KDA had sought amnesty for all detainees, including Wangchuk, in the aftermath of the September 24 Leh violence. Protests turned violent in Leh after days of hunger strike by Wangchuk and demonstrations by local residents. Four people lost their lives in police firing on the day and two days later, Wangchuk was detained and taken to Jodhpur overnight.
Local lawyer and friend Mustafa Haji said on Monday: “What is his crime? Reminding the government of its own promise of Sixth Schedule protection and constitutional empowerment of the people of Ladakh. The government of the day has miserably failed to understand Ladakh and its peace-loving people.”
KDA representative Sajjad Kargili called out the Centre’s “undemocratic attitude” over Wangchuk’s continued detention alongside others from the region. “For the last three months, we have sought release of all detainees and compensation for the deceased, in the hope that the government will display wisdom and sensibility. However, so far, the government has been indifferent.”
He added that the KDA and ABL have jointly submitted their draft case for statehood and other demands to the MHA. “We were told that the process of talks will be taken further once this draft is submitted but the government does not appear to be viewing this with seriousness. The Central government should not push the people of Ladakh to the wall.”
