New Delhi, September 26 — The Union Ministry of Home Affairs cancelled the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) licence of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk’s NGO, Students’ Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh (SECMOL), on Thursday, citing multiple violations following a CBI inquiry, a day after violent protests in Leh left four dead and over 70 injured, according to details received by The Chenab Times.
The order, signed by MHA Deputy Secretary Rajesh Kumar T under Section 14(1) of the FCRA, took immediate effect after SECMOL was served a show-cause notice on August 20 and a reminder on September 10. The NGO’s reply on September 20 was deemed unsatisfactory, revealing breaches including Wangchuk’s Rs 3.5 lakh deposit into the FCRA account in 2021-22—claimed as proceeds from an old FCRA-procured bus but ruled as undisclosed cash under Section 17—and unreflected donations from him under Section 18, as reported by The Indian Express.
Further violations included Rs 54,600 in local funds from three individuals deposited into the FCRA account in 2020-21 (admitted as an error for volunteer food costs), Rs 4.93 lakh from Swedish donor Framtidsjorden for youth programs on migration, climate change and “sovereignty of the country”—prohibited under Section 12(4) as against national interest—and Rs 79,200 in foreign contributions for 2020-21 not credited to the FCRA account, suspected as diverted to local ones under Section 17. The MHA criticized poor account maintenance, invoking Sections 8(1)(a), 17, 18, 19 and registration conditions.
The CBI initiated a preliminary inquiry two months ago into alleged FCRA misuse by SECMOL and the Himalayan Institute of Alternative Learning (HIAL), both linked to Wangchuk, who ended a 15-day hunger strike on September 10 demanding statehood and Sixth Schedule inclusion for Ladakh. The Centre blamed Wangchuk’s “provocative statements” for inciting the September 24 violence, which disrupted talks set for October 6. Wangchuk dismissed the allegations as a “scapegoat tactic” and witch-hunt, noting taxes were paid on service fees from UN, Swiss and Italian entities for knowledge-sharing on innovations like artificial glaciers.
SECMOL, focused on education and culture, loses foreign funding eligibility, impacting operations. Wangchuk, a Magsaysay awardee, called the probe “guns blazing” amid Ladakh’s unrest since 2019 UT status. No comment from the MHA or CBI was available at the time of reporting.
Reacting to the MHA’s statement, which had blamed him for provoking mob violence, Wangchuk stated that he is prepared to be arrested under the stringent Public Safety Act (PSA), Times of India reported.
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