Day after hailing Gen-Z, Gitanjali Angmo tells trollers: 'Stop confusing religion with spirituality'

A day after praising India's Gen-Z for embodying the values of Sanatana Dharma and saying they had shown the country what it truly means to be a Vishwaguru, activist Sonam Wangchuk's wife, Gitanjali Angmo, on Sunday hit back at critics, urging them to “stop confusing religion with spirituality” and asserting that no political party could monopolise Sanatana Dharma.

In a post on X, Angmo wrote, “To all the trollers: Stop confusing religion with spirituality.”

She drew a distinction between religion and spirituality, saying, “Religion seeks followers. Spirituality seeks transformation.”

“Religion is an institution that defines identity, authority, and control. Spirituality is a deeply personal awakening that expresses itself through every thought, word, and action,” she said.

Angmo also linked the idea to governance, saying, “Politics infused with religion divides. Politics guided by spirituality unites and aspires to the ideal of the philosopher-king: one who serves with wisdom, compassion, restraint, and truth.”

Quoting Sri Aurobindo, she wrote, “When it is said that India shall rise, it is the Sanatana Dharma that shall rise. India is rising for the sake of the Sanatana Dharma.”

She added that Sanatana Dharma “is the bedrock of Indian civilisation” and “was never meant to be a religion in the narrow, institutional sense, nor can any political party monopolise it.”

“It is a way of being, a path of inner evolution, and a lived pursuit of Truth,” Angmo said.

To all the trollers: Stop confusing religion with spirituality.

Religion seeks followers. Spirituality seeks transformation.

Religion is an institution that defines identity, authority, and control. Spirituality is a deeply personal awakening that expresses itself through every…

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

She further called for reforms in the media ecosystem, saying educational reforms must be accompanied by changes in the way information is consumed and disseminated. “Everyone is demanding educational reforms. Excellent idea. But can we begin by reforming the media first?” she said.

Everyone is demanding educational reforms.

Excellent idea.

But can we begin by reforming the media first?

Today, our biggest influencers are not our teachers but TV studios, WhatsApp forwards, YouTube channels and social media trollers. Some of them teach us to hate before we…

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

Her remarks came a day after Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned amid mounting pressure over the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak controversy. The resignation followed a 37-day-long agitation led by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) over the alleged paper leak, after which the Centre accepted key demands of the protesters.

On Saturday, Angmo had praised the youth participating in the nationwide protests, writing on X, “If anyone has shown what it means for India to be a Vishwaguru, it is our Gen Z.”

“They have lived Sanatan Dharma, not preached it. Courage without hate. Strength without violence. Patriotism without blind obedience. Unlike many of their counterparts across the world, they have shown that you can stand firmly against injustice without burning your own country down,” she had said.

In the same post, Angmo had also written, "Maybe it's time the Hindu nationalist party learnt a thing or two from these young Indians about Hinduism, nationalism, and what it truly means to be a Vishwaguru.”