Ladakh Cancels Land Allotment to Institute; Wangchuk, Leh Body Call It ‘Witch-Hunt’

The Ladakh administration has revoked the land allotment of Himalayan Institute of Alternative Learning in Leh drawing sharp reaction of its founder and climate activist Sonam Wangchuk who termed it as witch-hunt to suppress the demand of the people in the region to be granted statehood and inclusion of the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution to the region.

The Leh Apex Body which together with the Kargil Democratic Alliance is leading an agitation in favour of the demand since four years also issued a statement criticising the decision, and added that they will not be quiet nor will the fallout be upon those who are out to suppress their voices.

In his order handed down on August 21, Leh Deputy Commissioner Romil Singh Donk said the land (1,076 kanal and 1 marla) was given to HIAL "stands escheated to the State, i.e., LAHDC and the Tehsildar, Leh, shall remove all the encumbrances from the said piece of state land as per provisions of the law and effect entries in the revenue record accordingly".

The order indicated that the land in Phyang was leased to HIAL over a period as 40 years and it has not been utilized towards the purpose which was allocated to it so far since no University has been established yet.

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"No lease agreement has been executed in respect of the allotted land and no formal handing over and taking over of the said land has taken place through Tehsildar Leh till date, as per record," the order issued on August 21 said.

In reaction to the cancellation of the land allotment, Wangchuk together with the chief executive officer of HIAL pointed out the decision as being motivated and termed it as a motivated decision to harass them based on false claims and that the company will go to the court to seek justice.

"HIAL was established in 2017-18 and we received a notice yesterday that the land allotment to the institute stands cancelled on three points which are baseless that can be proved with data, facts and evidence," Gitanjali Angmo, its co-founder and CEO Gitanjali Angmo, who is an entrepreneur, social worker and an educator, said this in a chat with reporters here.

In response to each of the arguments presented by the Leh Deputy Commissioner, Angmo, accompanied by Wangchuk said that in the last five years, 400 students had attended long-term courses and short-term and fellowship programs.

"This is an alternative university and does not require UGC registration but we applied the same on March 16, 2022 and deposited ₹15 lakh on March 28, 2022… We met Dharmendra Pradhan on March 15, 2023 and he proudly tweeted about our meeting with him," she said.

But she stated that on November 5, 2024, when she met the minister, again, and told him that his ministry and the UGC had kept their file pending since last three years because Wangchuk is one of the people agitating seeking a Sixth Schedule to Ladakh.

Since the formation of Ladakh Union Territory in August 2019, she said they have highlighted to the government several times to get the lease deed formalized but they were told by the government that policy is yet to be framed in the matter and in the meantime, they can continue with construction activities.

"The land was allotted by LAHDC, but when it was cancelled, it was done by the deputy commissioner without even taking into confidence the hill council, which is a clear violation of its mandate," Wangchuk said, adding it is a matter of grave concern for the people of Ladakh.

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"We are not staying silent and are approaching the court of law to seek justice," he said.

Angmo stated that the institute has signed around five Memorandums of understanding with universities across the globe and several of their international students are coming to Ladakh as their study destinations.

"Our institute has the ability to prove itself as the pride of India and needs whole-hearted support… such institutions should not be sabotaged if the government believes in nationalism and patriotism. We want India to come to the world map on education, a dream which is yet to be fulfilled in the past 75 years of independence," she said.

She urged the Ladakh government to halt the witch hunt and when they say they love India then stop dragging education into politics.

According to the LAB co-chairman Chering Dorjey, it is an attempt by the Ladakh administration to gag people of the UT that is demanding statehood and Sixth Schedule.

"I want to tell them that if they think on these lines, they are mistaken. We will not be cowed down by such acts," Dorjey, flanked by other members of LAB including Wangchuk, told reporters here.

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