New Delhi: You may like him or detest him, but one cannot ignore Sonam Wangchuk.
But how many had heard about his wife Gitanjali Angmo till the other day?
Gitanjali visited Wangchuk at Jantar Mantar on Friday, for the first time since the climate activist joined the Cockroach Janta Party’s protest and began an indefinite hunger strike three weeks ago.
As Wangchuk’s health condition deteriorated, he remained steadfast in his demand for the resignation of Union Education minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET-UG paper leak and other irregularities in national-level exams.
Ignoring the request of several well-wishers, including politicians and celebrities, to end his fast, Wangchuk not only refused to oblige but vowed to stay alive till July 20 so that he can join the march to Parliament to press for Pradhan’s ouster.
After Wangchuk was ‘forcibly’ shifted to Safdarjung Hospital by Delhi Police after the high court directed that his health be monitored, Gitanjali took up the baton on her husband’s behalf.
“If Sonam Wangchuk can’t join the (Parliament) march, I will represent him and lead that march,” Gitanjali asserted on Saturday.
A social entrepreneur and educationist, Gitanjali keeps a low profile. But when the situation demanded, she made it clear that no medical treatment of her husband is to be done without her consent.
She demanded Wangchuk’s discharge, and then sought an urgent hearing of the high court.
Not many know that Gitanjali’s roots are from Odisha.
Born to a Punjabi family in Balasore, Gitanjali completed her education from Odisha.
She did her bachelor degree in Physics from Balasore’s Fakir Mohan University and then an MBA from Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar.
Thereafter, she worked in the corporate sector for a decade and a half, mostly in Denmark.
Once she returned to India, Gitanjali began her entrepreneurial journey. She launched the Pushan and Shanghai Power Projects Ltd, and also established Helios Books, a publishing house.
After getting married to Wangchuk – she is his second wife – Gitanjali founded the Himalayan Institute of Alternatives (HIAL) in Ladakh with Sonam in 2017.
HIAL focuses on problems faced by communities living in Ladakh’s tough conditions. The institute has developed green campuses, passive solar-heated buildings and other sustainable technologies.
HIAL also developed solar-heated tents for Army personnel in 2021. It also provides fellowships and short-term courses.
Last year, HIAL came under CBI scrutiny for alleged foreign funding violations.
When Wangchuk was detained following violent protests in Ladakh, Gitanjali fought for his release and succeeded after nearly five months.
She is back in the headlines again, albeit reluctantly.
