Black belt, Russian ballet dancer: Who is Wangchuk's wife Gitanjali Angmo
"If Sonam Wangchuk can't join the march, I will represent him and lead that march," Gitanjali Angmo, the wife of the climate activist, said on
"If Sonam Wangchuk can't join the march, I will represent him and lead that march," Gitanjali Angmo, the wife of the climate activist, said on Saturday. Gitanjali, who visited Wangchuk for the first time since his hunger strike on Friday, has been leading the charge against the government after the activist was "forcibly removed" from Jantar Mantar and shifted to Safdarjung Hospital in a dramatic turn of events. She was also instrumental in securing Wangchuk's release after he was detained for nearly five months following violent protests in Ladakh. It has brought Gitanjali into the national spotlight. Read Full Story In fact, Gitanjali is Wangchuk's second wife. The activist, who is believed to be the inspiration behind the character of Aamir Khan in '3 Idiots', was first married to Rebecca Norman, an American citizen. However, the marriage ended in divorce. Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk and his wife Gitanjali Angmo at Jantar Mantar WHO IS WANGCHUK'S WIFE GITANJALI ANGMO? While Wangchuk has frequently found himself in the government's crosshairs, Gitanjali has always maintained a low profile. A social entrepreneur and educationist, she is best known as the co-founder of the Himalayan Institute of Alternatives (HIAL) in Ladakh. The institute essentially focuses on solving real-world problems faced by communities living in Ladakh's frigid conditions. It focuses on developing green campuses, passive solar-heated buildings and other sustainable technologies. HIAL also developed solar-heated tents for the Army in 2021. The institute also provides fellowships and short-term courses. However, HIAL came under CBI scrutiny last year for alleged foreign funding violations.
Born to a Punjabi family in Odisha's Balasore, Gitanjali completed her bachelor's in physics from Fakir Mohan University. She then went on to pursue an MBA from Bhubaneswar's Xavier Institute of Management. After completing her MBA, she worked in the corporate sector for 15 years, mostly in Denmark. After returning to India, she focused on her entrepreneurial journey. She launched her own businesses, Pushan and Shanghai Power Projects Ltd, and also established a publishing house called Helios Books. In 2017, she founded HIAL with Sonam Wangchuk. Usually reticent, Angmo opened up about her marriage in a 2025 interview with Brut. Angmo revealed that she met Wangchuk at an education conference. They connected instantly. "It was interesting to see that we were finishing each other's sentences. There was so much similarity in the way we wanted to work in education and life in general," Angmo said. Angmo is a woman of many talents. According to her LinkedIn profile, she is a black belt in karate and an accomplished Odissi and Russian ballet dancer. A Chevening scholar from the University of Oxford, Angmo is also a recipient of the Women Transforming India Award that was given by the government. In her LinkedIn bio, Angmo calls herself a "spiritual seeker" with a deep interest in Indian spirituality. Angmo met Wangchuk at an education conference PILLAR OF SUPPORT DURING DETENTION Gitanjali first grabbed the spotlight with her unwavering support for Wangchuk when he was detained in September last year under the stringent Security Act (NSA).
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