Leh/New Delhi: India has been ‘secular’ before 1976 and using the word ‘secular’ in the Constitution is like ‘calling water wet’ – meaning stating the obvious – Gitanjali Angmo, founder and CEO of Himalayan Institute of Alternatives Ladakh (HIAL) and wife of activist Sonam Wangchuk, remarked on Friday.
Listing out articles from the Constitution to prove her point, she noted that the word ‘secular’ is a Western import born of Europe’s church-state conflicts, as reported by Hindustan Times.
“The word “Secular” is a Western import born of Europe’s church-state conflicts. Does not capture India’s historical approach to religious pluralism which is better described by concepts like Sarva Dharma Sambhava or equal respect for all faiths,” she wrote in a post on X.
Adding the word ‘secular’ to the Preamble was a ‘tautology’, she said.
“Long before modern secularism, India spoke of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam. It is inclusive by design. Has nurtured multiple worldviews and philosophical traditions while affirming the dignity of every path,” Angmo wrote.
She was active in the protests against the NEET UG 2026 paper leak in New Delhi, alongside her husband, after he was moved out of the Jantar Mantar protest site by Delhi Police ahead of Parliament march by members and supporters of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP).
Angmo questioned the Congress’s protest near Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence, saying it failed to reflect genuine support for the ongoing students’ movement against paper leaks.
Political leaders should have joined the students protesting at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar instead of staging a demonstration outside the Prime Minister’s residence, she had said.
Wangchuk’s public image was being used for political purposes, she had said, asserting that people could distinguish between sincere and symbolic gestures.
Wangchuk, meanwhile, returned to Ladakh on Thursday after his release from hospital in Gurugram. The activist, who was on an indefinite hunger strike on the NEET issue, was admitted to the Safdarjung Hospital by Delhi Police. He then moved to the Medanta Hospital in Gurugram, after ending his fast on July 23.
He travelled to Jammu and Kashmir via a Vande Bharat train before leaving for Ladakh a day later.
In a video shared by him on X on Thursday, Wangchuk was heard praising the Indian Railways and also urged the Indian government to stick to its promises.
The activist said in the video that rail was his favourite mode of travel and praised the Vande Bharat train service from Delhi to Jammu and Kashmir.
“I wanted to see the Chenab bridge as well and it was a very beautiful experience. I am very proud of Indian Railways,” Wangchuk said in the video.
He also made a direct appeal to the government, asking it to stick to the promise made to the students that no FIRs will be filed against those who took part in nationwide protests.
“I am happy that the bill has been introduced for the improvement of exams in Parliament. I hope this improvement in introduced not just in exams but also the entire education system,” Wangchuk said in the video.
