The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) announced on Thursday the cancellation of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) license of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk’s NGO. This decision followed a violent statehood protest in Leh, during which four individuals were killed by police, a situation the government attributed to Wangchuk’s “provocative statements.”
Wangchuk, who recently ended a 15-day hunger strike amid escalating tensions, faced accusations from the Central government for allegedly inciting violence through his speeches. Despite this, government officials asserted that discussions with local Ladakhi groups through the High-Powered Committee have already yielded significant achievements and serve as the primary platform for addressing regional aspirations.
Wangchuk reported that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has initiated an inquiry into purported violations of the FCRA concerning the Himalayan Institute of Alternatives Ladakh (HIAL), an organization founded by him. He indicated that approximately ten days ago, a CBI team arrived with an order stemming from a complaint filed by the MHA regarding potential FCRA infractions.
During a press conference on Wednesday, Wangchuk elaborated that the scrutiny faced by his institution appears to be targeted. Police and paramilitary forces enforced a strict curfew in Leh on Thursday, resulting in the detention of at least 50 individuals amid civil unrest, which had claimed four lives during clashes.
In his Thursday statement, Wangchuk suggested that his potential imprisonment could create more challenges for the government than his current freedom. He described the MHA’s attempt to hold him accountable for the protests as a “scapegoat tactic,” asserting, “I see they are building up a case to bring me under the Public Safety Act and throw me in jail for two years.” He expressed his readiness for arrest, maintaining that his imprisonment could exacerbate existing issues for the government.
Wangchuk criticized the narrative that attributed the violence to himself or the Congress party, arguing that it deflects from the underlying problems and could lead to further unrest. He emphasized that the violence stems from deep-rooted grievances, particularly among the region’s youth, attributable to six years of unemployment and unfulfilled promises.
He accused the government of misrepresenting its achievements, pointing out that crucial demands for statehood and the extension of the Sixth Schedule to safeguard Ladakh’s tribal status and fragile environment remain unaddressed after five years of peaceful appeals. According to Wangchuk, the government’s scapegoat strategy fails to promote genuine peace and instead serves to further entrench societal tensions.
In light of the unrest, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah called on the residents of Ladakh to maintain peace, defending the Congress party and claiming it is typical for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to blame others for its failures, a pattern he argued is evident in the context of the violence in Leh.
The situation escalated into unrest when a massive shutdown in Ladakh turned violent on Wednesday, as protesters seeking statehood and Sixth Schedule designation set fire to a BJP office and clashed with law enforcement.
Tags: Sonam Wangchuk, NGO, FCRA licence, Ladakh, protest
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