Gitanjali Angmo has come into national focus after taking a leading role in supporting climate activist Sonam Wangchuk during his ongoing hunger strike and protest. On July 18, she announced that she would lead the proposed march to Parliament if Wangchuk is unable to participate due to his health.
Her statement came after Wangchuk was shifted from Jantar Mantar to Safdarjung Hospital. While Angmo alleged that he was forcibly removed from the protest site, Delhi Police maintained that the transfer was carried out following medical advice and in compliance with directions of the Delhi High Court.
Angmo is a social entrepreneur and educationist best known as the co-founder of the Himalayan Institute of Alternatives, Ladakh (HIAL), which she established with Sonam Wangchuk in 2017. The institute focuses on sustainable education, green technologies and practical solutions for communities living in Ladakh’s harsh climatic conditions.
HIAL has worked on projects including passive solar-heated buildings, sustainable campuses and solar-heated tents developed for the Indian Army. The institute also offers fellowships and short-term educational programmes.
Born into a Punjabi family in Odisha’s Balasore, Angmo completed her bachelor’s degree in Physics from Fakir Mohan University before pursuing an MBA at Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar.
She spent nearly 15 years working in the corporate sector, primarily in Denmark, before returning to India. She later launched business ventures, including Pushan and Shanghai Power Projects Ltd., and founded Helios Books, a publishing house.
According to her public profile, Angmo is a Chevening Scholar from the University of Oxford and has received the Women Transforming India Award. She is also trained in karate and is an accomplished Odissi and Russian ballet dancer.
Angmo met Sonam Wangchuk at an education conference, where they connected over their shared interest in education and social development. The two later married and jointly established HIAL.
Wangchuk was previously married to American citizen Rebecca Norman before the marriage ended in divorce.
Angmo first came into the public spotlight during Wangchuk’s detention last year under the National Security Act (NSA) following protests in Ladakh over demands for statehood and inclusion under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.
During his detention, she approached the Supreme Court challenging the prolonged custody and also wrote to the President seeking intervention. Wangchuk was later released after spending nearly five months in detention.
Following his release, Angmo described the emotional and logistical challenges faced by the family during the detention period.
Since Wangchuk began his hunger strike on June 28, Angmo has largely supported the campaign through public statements and opinion pieces rather than remaining at the protest site.
After Wangchuk’s health deteriorated, she visited him at Safdarjung Hospital and urged him to end his fast. Following his transfer from Jantar Mantar, Angmo alleged a lack of transparency regarding his treatment and questioned restrictions imposed on family members inside the hospital.
She also announced that she would lead the planned march to Parliament on July 20 if Wangchuk is unable to participate.
Her intervention has brought the otherwise low-profile educationist into the centre of the ongoing developments surrounding Wangchuk’s protest and his demands.
