The Union home ministry on Thursday cancelled the foreign funding licence of a non-governmental organisation run by activist Sonam Wangchuk, a day after blaming him for the violent clashes over statehood in Ladakh that killed four people and injured 100 others.
The move came on a day when relative normalcy returned to the Union Territory as the authorities detained 20 people and police and paramilitary forces strictly clamped curfew restrictions across Leh.
The ministry said it cancelled the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) licence of the Students’ Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh (SECMOL), one of the organisations founded by Wangchuk, with “immediate effect”.
The order said SECMOL received ₹4.93 lakh in 2021-22 from a foreign donor in Sweden, for educational programmes for creating awareness on migration, climate change, global warming, food security and sovereignty of the country. “The foreign contributions cannot be accepted for study on the sovereignty of the nation. This act of association is against the national interest of the country,” the ministry said.
The activist called the order a “witch hunt” and said the unrest was due to the frustration among the common people in Ladakh.
“They may be clever in making somebody else a scapegoat, but they are not wise. At this time, we all need wisdom rather than cleverness because youth is already frustrated,” Wangchuk told PTI, adding that he was ready to be arrested.
To be sure, the timing of the investigation and its revelation — he is widely seen as one of the leaders of the movement in Ladakh demanding more autonomy and perhaps statehood — mean that the investigation could be seen as being politically motivated.
The controversy came a day after four people were killed and around 100 injured in Ladakh during sweeping protests demanding full statehood for the Union territory and protections for jobs and land. Eyewitnesses said young protesters in their hundreds pelted stones, vandalised buildings and set the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) office and a police vehicle ablaze. Police said it had to resort to lathi charge and tear gas shells to disperse the protesters but Wangchuk said police used lethal weapons.
The Union home ministry said violence broke out at 11.30am and was brought under control by 4pm on Wednesday. “It is clear that the mob was incited by Shri Sonam Wangchuk through his provocative statements,” it said in a statement released on Wednesday night.
On Thursday, no violence was reported from anywhere in Ladakh. “The situation was stable as restrictions remained in force. There was no untoward incident anywhere. We have detained some 20 people related to violence,” said incharge additional superintendent of police, Leh, Rigzin Sangdup.
Lieutenant governor Kavinder Gupta said various necessary measures including prohibitory orders were strictly implemented. “Only 19 injured people are still admitted in the hospital and the rest were discharged. Many of those admitted will be discharged by tomorrow,” he said, adding that a bandh call in Kargil passed off peacefully.
In Delhi, officials said the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is conducting a preliminary enquiry (PE) to probe alleged violation of foreign funding law by Sonam Wangchuk and NGOs founded by him. Wangchuk was even called by CBI to appear before it but he is yet to respond, claimed an officer who didn’t want to be named.
The federal anti-corruption agency launched a PE — a precursor to the first information report (FIR) to ascertain if a case is made out — against Wangchuk, Himalayan Institute of Alternatives Ladakh (HIAL) and SECMOL about two months ago based on a reference from the MHA, agency officials said. As part of the probe, the agency is currently examining financial statements of HIAL, SECMOL, and Wangchuk, said one officer.
Wangchuk told news agency PTI that a CBI team visited HIAL and SECMOL last week, seeking details of foreign funds received by them between 2022 and 2024. “The order said we have not taken clearance under FCRA to receive foreign funds. We don’t want to be dependent on foreign funds, but we export our knowledge and raise revenue. In three such instances, they thought it was foreign contribution,” Wangchuk told PTI.
On August 20, the ministry had issued a show cause notice to SECMOL seeking its response on violations. One of the observations in the MHA order was that Wangchuk, during FY 2021-22, deposited ₹3.5 lakh into the FCRA account of SECMOL in violation of the act. SECMOL replied to the MHA that it was the proceeds of sale of a bus, but the ministry said it appeared this money was received in cash and was not reflected in the designated FCRA bank account.
Wangchuk, who broke his fast as violence spiralled on Wednesday, has remained defiant and received the backing of Opposition parties.
Former J&K chief minister and National Conference president Farooq Abdullah blamed the Centre and BJP for the nrest in Ladakh, accusing them of making empty promises for the past five years. At a press conference, Abdullah said people of Ladakh youth feel betrayed after waiting years for their demands to be met.
“Delhi kept talking but delivered nothing. The youth feel let down. The central leadership must act quickly instead of just offering lip service,” he said.
The BJP, however, welcomed the FCRA licence cancellation of Wangchuk’s NGO. “Even back in 2007, when BJP was not in power at the Centre or in J&K, the government had flagged several violations by him and made sharp observations. The record speaks for itself,” BJP IT cell incharge Amit Malviya said.
The Union Territory of Ladakh was created on August 5, 2019 after the Centre effectively abrogated Article 370, which used to bestow special status to Jammu and Kashmir, and split the erstwhile state into two UTs – J&K with a legislative assembly and Ladakh without one.
Since then, a string of protests have rocked Ladakh and had echoes in Delhi. In February 2024, thousands protested in Delhi, Leh and other parts of Ladakh demanding statehood and safeguards under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.
Wangchuk and 34 other protesters began the hunger strike on September 10, demanding statehood and protection under the sixth schedule of the Constitution to safeguard land, language, employment and cultural rights. But anger peaked after two activists had to be hospitalised on Tuesday.
The government has pointed out that negotiations were ongoing between the government and representatives in Ladakh and Kargil, which had yielded results in the form of higher reservations, language rights and the beginning of a recruitment process. It also said that the next meeting was scheduled on October 6 and smaller informal meets were planned later this week. “However, certain politically motivated individuals were not happy with the progress made…has been trying to sabotage the dialogue process,” the home ministry statement said on Wednesday.