Don’t let the music be louder than the unanswered questions: Gitanjali Angmo at the Ladakh Festival

Educator and activist Gitanjali J. Angmo on Saturday (September 26, 2026) questioned the timing of the government’s Ladakh festival to coincide with the Union Territory’s “Martyrs’ Month” to commemorate the killing of four residents and the arrest of her husband Sonam Wangchuk last year in Ladakh state and Ladakh’s demand for inclusion in Schedgit state.

Four local residents were killed in firing by security forces on September 24, 2025. Two days later, Mr. Wangchuk was arrested and jailed under the National Security Act. This year, the Ladakh administration is organizing a festival from September 26 to 28 “to bring together local artisans, artists and visitors from all over the world to celebrate the true spirit of Ladakh”.

“These dates carry memories much heavier than any festival. Around this time last year, Ladakh witnessed violence, police shootings, deaths, injuries, arrests and imprisonments. These are not distant events from another era. They happened right on these streets, right at this time of year. Today, September 26, is also one year since Mr. Wangschuk arrived at the illegal Lada festival, Sotyrs’ Soty. The day and anniversary of Sonam’s detention Wangchuk, ask what this moment should mean, ask if the celebration should be allowed to dull memories barely a year old,” Ms Angmo said in a post on X.

To the people of #Ladakh:

It’s only 2 days from September 24th. And these dates carry memories much heavier than any festival. Around this time last year, Ladakh witnessed violence, police firing, deaths, injuries, arrests and imprisonments. Four of our people lost their lives.…

— Gitanjali J Angmo (@GitanjaliAngmo) September 26, 2026

“The opium that dulls the memory”

In an appeal to the people of Ladakh, Ms Angmo said: “If you believe that the struggle for Ladakh’s constitutional guarantees, environment, identity and democratic rights represents the future of Ladakh, mark these days with remembrance and solidarity rather than being drowned out by festivities. Question the timing. Remember what happened. Remember those who died, those who were injured, those who were arrested, the months behind bars.”

A year is not long enough for such memories to become comfortable, she said. “Stay awake. Stay focused. Keep your eyes on the bigger goal. Don’t let the celebration become an opium that dulls the memory. Don’t let the music be louder than the questions that remain unanswered. And don’t let the festivities make Ladakh forget what happened on this very day last year, or what is at stake today,” Ms. Angmo said.

Ladakh and Tibet

Meanwhile, Mr. Wangchuk apologized for earlier remarks comparing the situation in Ladakh to that in Tibet. “If I have hurt any feelings, I apologize for the same. I understand the suffering of Tibetan friends and have always been against Chinese repression, but if you had seen what the people of Leh went through on that unfortunate day, you might not agree,” Mr Wangchuk said in a video statement.

In his earlier remarks at a public event on September 24, Mr Wanchuk said: “Ladakh had China on one side and India on the other. Ladakh chose India because we believed that we would be able to live with our heads held high in India, where there is democracy. But today such oppression is being imposed on Ladakh, which, in my opinion, China is not doing to Tibet.”

The Central Tibetan Administration, the Tibetan government-in-exile, objected to the remarks, calling his comparison of the situation in Ladakh to that in Tibet “misplaced” and “inaccurate”.

“Last year was the worst”

In a video statement on Saturday (26 September 2026), Mr Wangchuk said that while Ladakh had always been happy and prosperous in India, “the last six years have been different and the last year has been the worst”.

“It’s not about India, it’s about the current regime. In a small town of 20,000 people, four brutally killed, one suicide, 80 injured, 75 arrested on charges like attempted murder. In Delhi, Parliament stalled and demanded the resignation of Amit Shah over the use of firearms and lathi charge at Jantar Mantar. Should it be given up?” he asked.

Published – 26 Sep 2026 22:43 IST