Ladakh protests: Govt cancels FCRA licence of Wangchuk's organisation

In a significant blow to Ladakhi educationist and climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, the Union ministry of home affairs (MHA) on Thursday cancelled the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) registration of the Students Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh (SECMOL), citing multiple violations under the FCRA.

The move follows the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) opening an inquiry into alleged violations of the FCRA by SECMOL, a day after four people were killed and over 80 injured in violent protests in Ladakh linked to the ongoing statehood agitation which Wangchuk has been leading for nearly five years — primarily through peaceful means such as hunger strikes and marches.

In a statement on Wednesday night, the government blamed "provocative speeches by Wangchuk" as a reason behind the violence, with BJP spokesman Sambit Patra also blaming the Congress, though Opposition parties on Thursday said the BJP-led Union government was blaming others for a mess of its own making.

SECMOL, a Ladakh-based educational NGO led by Wangchuk, was issued a show-cause notice on 20 August over allegations of financial irregularities, misuse of foreign funds, and conducting activities deemed 'contrary to national interest'. A reminder was sent on 10 September asking the organisation to respond and justify why its registration should not be revoked.

The organisation submitted its reply on 19 September, but after reviewing the response, the MHA said several violations were found.

According to findings accessed by CNN-News18, the home ministry flagged non-compliance issues between 2020 and 2022. In 2021–22, Wangchuk personally deposited Rs 3.5 lakh into SECMOL’s FCRA account, a move the ministry deemed a violation of Section 17 of the FCRA, which requires transparent accounting and proper disclosure of foreign contributions.

In a similar instance from 2020–21, three individuals deposited Rs 54,600 in domestic funds into the same FCRA account — again in reported breach of Section 17 norms. SECMOL later acknowledged this was a procedural error.

SECMOL also received Rs 4.93 lakh from the Sweden-based Framtidsjorden Foundation, intended to fund educational content including material touching on national sovereignty. The MHA considered this a violation of Section 124f(i) of the FCRA, categorising it as against national interest.

Another flagged instance involved a Rs 19,600 donation from Megha Sanghavi, earmarked for volunteer expenses. Although SECMOL eventually returned the sum, authorities said the manner of receiving and handling foreign funds violated FCRA guidelines.

Additionally, SECMOL had reported Rs 79,200 as foreign contribution collected from staff salaries as food fees. However, these amounts were not credited to the designated FCRA account, in breach of Sections 18 and 19 of the Act.

On these grounds, the home ministry concluded that SECMOL had committed repeated violations under Sections 17, 18, 19, 81a, and 124f(i) of the FCRA. It cited a pattern of 'systemic non-compliance' and cancelled the NGO’s FCRA Certificate No. 152710012R with immediate effect.

The CBI, meanwhile, is also investigating Wangchuk’s second initiative — the Himalayan Institute of Alternatives Ladakh (HIAL) — for potential FCRA violations. According to Wangchuk, a CBI team visited HIAL about 10 days ago with an order referencing a complaint from the MHA.

“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," he told the media.

Both SECMOL and HIAL are known for offering free education to underprivileged youth in Ladakh. At HIAL, students are also paid stipends to work on various innovation and sustainability projects.

These developments come in the wake of violent protests in Leh, where demonstrators demanding statehood and constitutional safeguards for Ladakh clashed with police. The protests turned deadly on Wednesday, resulting in four deaths and injuries to more than 80 people, including security personnel.

Several vehicles were torched, and the BJP office in Leh was vandalised and set ablaze. Tear gas shells were fired to disperse the mob as flames and smoke billowed across parts of the town.

The MHA has accused Wangchuk of playing a role in inciting the unrest, stating that he 'instigated the mob through his provocative speech'. The activist had just concluded a 15-day hunger strike over demands for Ladakh’s inclusion in the Sixth Schedule and for full statehood when the violence erupted.

With media inputs