New Delhi: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has cancelled the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) license of the Students Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh (SECMOL), an organisation founded by climate activist Sonam Wangchuk. 

This comes after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) said it had initiated a preliminary inquiry into alleged FCRA violations about two months ago against climate activist Sonam Wangchuk and the Himalayan Institute of Alternatives Ladakh (HIAL), another institution he founded, according to a report by The Indian Express. 

The revelation comes a day after the MHA blamed Wangchuk for the violent protest in Leh, saying the “mob was incited” by his “provocative statements”. At least four persons were killed in the violence and police firing. 

Curfew-like restrictions were imposed across the city in view of home ministry officials meeting leaders of the restive border region.

Meanwhile, Wangchuk told PTI that a CBI team came to him with “an order” about 10 days ago, saying that they were acting on a complaint from the MHA regarding the alleged FCRA violations.

He said that a CBI team visited HIAL and the Students' Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh (SECMOL) last week, seeking details of foreign funds received between 2022 and 2024. The CBI teams are still camping in Ladakh and going through accounts and statements of the organisations.

While an inquiry is going on for some time, no FIR has been registered yet.

Wangchuk said the alleged violations that the complaint refers to were service agreements, with taxes duly paid to the government, pertaining to India exporting knowledge to the United Nations, Swiss University and an Italian organisation.

“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 said, adding that "everyone knows we have documents to show". 

"The funny part is, Ladakh is one place where there is no tax. Yet I voluntarily pay taxes, and I get summons. Then they resurrected a four-year-old complaint that labourers were not paid properly. It is guns blazing from all sides on us," he further alleged.

Wangchuk is an engineer-turned-activist and innovator of sustainable products. He ended his 15-day hunger fast in view of the violence and appealed to Ladakh’s youth to protest peacefully and not derail the movement over demand on extension of Sixth Schedule as well as statehood to Ladakh that has been ongoing for more than five years now.

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