Wife of activist Sonam Wangchuk and CEO of Himalayan Institute of Alternatives (HAIL), Gitanjali J Angmo, on Thursday slammed the Centre and alleged police torture against the people of Ladakh after the September 24 violence in the Union Territory. Comparing the current situation in Ladakh to that during British India, she said that the Union Home Ministry is “misusing” the Ladakh Police. “Is India really free? In 1857, 24,000 Britishers used 135,000 Indian sepoys to oppress 300 million Indians under orders from the Queen. Today, a dozen administrators are misusing 2400 Ladakhi police to oppress and torture 3 lakh Ladakhis under the orders of the MHA,” Gitanjali wrote on X. Angmo’s criticism of the MHA and the police comes amid curfew in Leh and police firing as a response to the violence on September 24. Following Sonam Wangchuk’s detention under the National Security Act (NSA), Gitanjali Angmo has refuted the allegations against Wangchuk being in touch with a Pakistani Intelligence Operative, and accused the Ladakh police of working with an “agenda”. “Whatever the DGP is saying, he has an agenda. They don’t want to implement the 6th Schedule under any circumstances and want to make someone a scapegoat,” she alleged.
Speaking to media reporters, Gitanjali said that they attended a climate change conference organised by the United Nations and a Pakistani media outlet. She said, “This is absolutely wrong and false, we condemn it to the core. A narrative is being formed to frame someone. When the UT government was buying Chinese tablets, he (Wangchuk) was talking about tackling China not with bullets but with a wallet. How can such a person be anti-national?” “In February, we went to a conference organised by the UN and Dawn media on climate change. If India plays cricket with China, will the players and cricket bodies be anti-national? A conference on glaciers which provide water to all the countries from Bangladesh to Afghanistan… If a person participates in such a conference, will he be an ISI agent? What is the evidence behind it? They are saying a Pakistani entered here, so the MHA should answer.” Meanwhile, Ladakh Lieutenant Governor (LG) Kavinder Gupta emphasised that the Central government is working to “fulfil all the hopes of Ladakh” and expressed hope that the “matter will be resolved soon”. “They (Ladakh leaders who were part of protests) are engaging in talks with the administration, and given current events, we can also have discussions at the table. Once such an environment is fostered, we will begin the dialogue. The administration tried to represent the interests of the people… I’ve been here for the past two months, and I haven’t turned down any meetings. People listen to what I say and work towards solutions,” Gupta said.