Tsewang Rigzin
LEH, Aug 23: The Apex Body of People’s Movement for Sixth Schedule for Ladakh (Leh Apex Body) and the founders of the Himalayan Institute of Alternatives, Ladakh (HIAL) have strongly opposed the order issued by the Deputy Commissioner, Leh, cancelling the land allotted to HIAL.
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The decision has been described as a “witch-hunt” and a motivated attempt to suppress Ladakhi voices, particularly since HIAL’s founder Sonam Wangchuk has been an active voice in the Apex Body’s campaign for Sixth Schedule safeguards for Ladakh.
Apex Body leaders addressed a press conference accusing the administration of ignoring repeated reminders from HIAL to update the lease agreement and of bypassing the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Leh, in issuing the order of cancellation. They said LAHDC Leh which is the authority over land has not been informed of this and therefore it is an act that undermines the Council’s constitutional authority over land. They recalled that the land was originally allotted in 2018.
“It seems this order has been issued to silence Sonam Wangchuk’s voice, who as a member of the Apex Body has been actively advocating for Ladakh’s rights,” said Apex Body co-Chairman Chering Dorjay. He added that the entire Apex Body leadership stands firmly with Wangchuk or any other member facing victimisation.
Reacting to the cancellation, HIAL’s Founder & CEO Gitanjali J. Angmo and Founder & Director Sonam Wangchuk, rejected the order outright. They emphasised that HIAL, registered under the Charitable Act, has been active since 2018.
Angmo informed that more than 400 students from Ladakh and across the country have graduated from HIAL through long-term and short-term courses and fellowships in the past five years. She further said that HIAL has applied for De Novo university status under UGC, for which Rs 15 lakh has already been deposited.
She stressed that the delay in finalising the lease agreement stemmed from administrative lapses, not from negligence by HIAL.
Sonam Wangchuk noted that HIAL operates on an alternative education model rather than conventional university structures. The institute, he pointed out, was also appreciated by the University Grants Commission in 2023 for its innovative approach to higher education.
Wangchuk further alleged that the order was politically motivated and directly linked to his association with the ongoing campaign for Ladakh’s constitutional safeguards under Sixth Schedule.
Leaders of the Apex Body warned that such motivated actions would only strengthen Ladakh’s unity. “Our demand is constitutional, and attempts to intimidate us will not succeed,” they declared, holding the administration responsible for any fallout.
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