Meet Dr Gitanjali Angmo: Sonam Wangchuk's wife, HIAL co-founder and the woman leading his legal fight

As climate activist Sonam Wangchuk remains admitted to Delhi's Safdarjung Hospital, it is his wife, Gitanjali J Angmo, who has emerged as the face of the legal battle. 

Wangchuk was taken to Safdarjung Hospital by the Delhi Police on Saturday, the 21st day of his hunger strike. He has been fasting since June 28 over alleged irregularities in competitive examinations and the deaths of several students linked to the cancellation of the NEET paper. 

Angmo wants Wangchuk shifted to a private hospital.  

On Monday, Angmo approached the Delhi High Court against a single judge's order refusing to interfere with Wangchuk's treatment at Safdarjung Hospital. She argued that the order effectively confines the activist to the hospital without any arrest and deprives both him and his family of the right to decide his medical treatment.

The appeal contended that the order failed to address "informed consent" or an individual's right to accept or refuse medical treatment.

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Why Has Gitanjali Angmo Moved Court?

The appeal comes a day after Justice Mini Pushkarna declined to interfere with Wangchuk's treatment at Safdarjung Hospital during a special Sunday hearing.

The judge held that shifting the fasting activist from Jantar Mantar to a government hospital could not be termed arbitrary and refused to pass an interim order permitting his transfer to a private hospital.

The court observed that doctors at Safdarjung Hospital were closely monitoring Wangchuk and that there was nothing to suggest force was being used in violation of his bodily integrity.

Who Is Gitanjali Angmo?

A social entrepreneur and educationist, Gitanjali Angmo is best known as the co-founder of the Himalayan Institute of Alternatives, Ladakh (HIAL), which she established alongside Sonam Wangchuk.

She serves as the institute's Founding CEO and Dean. HIAL focuses on mountain development and promotes contextual, experiential, and trans-disciplinary learning tailored to the needs of Himalayan communities.

The institute has worked on several sustainable technologies, including green campuses, passive solar-heated buildings, and solar-heated tents developed for the Indian Army in 2021.

According to her LinkedIn profile, HIAL aims to "revolutionise higher education in India through the pedagogy of contextual and experiential learning that is trans-disciplinary."

From Corporate Career To Social Entrepreneurship

Born in Balasore, Odisha, to a Punjabi family, Angmo studied Physics at Fakir Mohan University before completing an MBA from the Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar.

She also holds a Doctorate in Education (Integral Education Framework) from Sri Sathya Sai University for Human Excellence. 

Before moving into the social sector, she spent nearly 15 years in the corporate world.

She began her career as an Assistant Manager at SRF Limited before joining Deloitte in Chennai as a Consultant between 1998 and 2000. She later served as Head of European Operations at Lister Technologies in Copenhagen from 2000 to 2002.

After returning to India, she founded several businesses and social ventures, including Pushan, Shanghai Power Projects Ltd, and Helios Books publishing house.

Spiritual Seeker, Awardee, And Martial Artist

On her LinkedIn profile, Angmo describes herself as "a spiritual seeker with a deep interest in Indian Spirituality." She teaches Vedanta and the Gita in the light of Sri Aurobindo.

She is a Chevening Fellow and a recipient of the Government of India's Women Transforming India National Award.

Beyond academics and entrepreneurship, Angmo is also a black belt in Karate and has trained in both Odissi and Russian Ballet.

How She Met Sonam Wangchuk

In an interview with Brut last year, Angmo said she met Sonam Wangchuk at an education conference.

She recalled that the meeting made her feel she had "found a kindred soul" and said she wanted to "live for a cause larger than herself."

Angmo is Wangchuk's second wife. He was earlier married to American Rebecca Norman.