The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on September 25, announced the cancellation of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) licence of two prominent Ladakh-based organisations, Students’ Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh (SECMOL) and the Himalayan Institute of Alternatives Ladakh (HIAL), both founded by activist Sonam Wangchuk.
The ministry cited repeated financial discrepancies, foreign donations “against national interest,” and violations of FCRA Sections 17 and 18 as grounds for action. One transaction under scrutiny involves a Rs 4.93 lakh fund transfer from Sweden, which the government says was used to study issues like sovereignty and migration, subjects it deemed beyond the permissible scope of foreign contributions.
Officials confirmed that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has been scrutinising the accounts of SECMOL and HIAL for the past two months, though no FIR or preliminary enquiry has yet been registered.
A complaint from the MHA had triggered the inquiry into foreign funds allegedly received without prior FCRA clearance. CBI teams have been in Ladakh for over a week, seizing records and questioning staff, with the probe extending to transactions as far back as 2020.
Wangchuk, however, maintains the funds were legitimate payments for “knowledge-sharing services with the UN, Swiss universities, and an Italian institution, with due taxes paid.”
This is not the first time Wangchuk’s organisations have come under the scanner. In August 2025, the Ladakh administration cancelled HIAL’s land allotment, citing non-usage of the land for its stated educational purpose and absence of a formal lease.
Earlier, the Home Ministry had also issued a show-cause notice to SECMOL for depositing Rs 3.5 lakh cash proceeds from the sale of an old bus into its FCRA account, an act in violation of Section 17. Another discrepancy involved Rs 3.35 lakh reported as Wangchuk’s personal donation, which was not reflected in the official FCRA account.
The cancellation order comes against the backdrop of escalating unrest in Ladakh, where violent protests on September 24 left four dead and several injured. Demonstrators demanding full statehood and 6th Schedule inclusion torched BJP offices and clashed with security forces, who responded with tear gas and firing.
The Centre has accused Wangchuk of inciting the violence, pointing to his repeated calls for “Arab Spring-style” and “Gen-Z” uprisings. His indefinite hunger strike since September 10 is being viewed by the government as a rallying point for anger among Ladakhi youth.
Wangchuk, on the other hand, blames “six years of unemployment and unmet promises” for the unrest, denying that he incited violence.
The MHA stressed that the Centre has been actively engaging with the Apex Body Leh (ABL) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) through a High-Powered Committee (HPC). Officials highlighted steps already taken, including:
Raising Scheduled Tribe reservations from 45 percent to 84 percent
Granting 33 percent reservation for women in local councils
Declaring Bhoti and Purgi as official languages
Approving 1,800 new government jobs
The next round of HPC talks is scheduled for October 6, but the ministry accused Wangchuk of “sabotaging dialogue” by provoking street violence.
The Centre insists it is committed to Ladakh’s development and dialogue, yet its crackdown on Wangchuk’s NGOs indicates zero tolerance for violations of funding laws or incitement of unrest.
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