A sudden move by the Ladakh Union Territory administration to cancel the land allotment to Sonam Wangchuk's ambitious Himalayan Institute of Alternative Learning or HIAL has triggered a major controversy. Ladakhi groups fighting for statehood and constitutional protections have called the decision an assault on Ladakh and an attempt to silence those fighting for their rights.
Around 54 hectares (10,76 kanals) of land were allotted to the Himalayan Institute of Alternate Learning in 2018 on a 40-year lease. On Thursday, Deputy Commissioner of Leh cancelled the allotment on grounds that the land was not used for the purpose it was allotted for and that no recognised university has been set up till date. The deputy commissioner also issued directions to "remove all the encumbrances from the said piece of state land".
"This is not an attack on Sonam Wangchuk but an attack on Ladakh. It is an attack on the Leh Apex Body and the Kargil Democratic Alliance," said Mr Wangchuk.
According to Leh Apex Body, an amalgam of political and religious groups of Leh, the cancellation order is an "attempt to harass and intimidate people and silence the voices of Ladakh".
Many people in Leh, including Mr Wangchuk, had celebrated carving out Ladakh as a separate Union Territory in August 2019. But within a year of direct central rule and absence of local democratic spaces to govern the region, the cold desert erupted against direct central rule, demanding statehood, and special status under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.
Sonam Wangchuk, the Ladakhi innovator and educationist who had thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for granting the Union Territory status to Ladakh, eventually became the face of agitation in Ladakh. In 2023, Mr Wangchuk said Ladakh was better off as part of the former state of Jammu & Kashmir.
Leaders from Kargil have also voiced their concern over the cancellation of allotment and called it an attempt to silence Ladakh.
"'Strongly condemn the 'REVOCATION OF LAND ALLOTMENT' for Sonam Wangchuk's HIAL - a deplorable act of political vendetta aimed at silencing Ladakh's dissenting voices. #Kargil Democratic Alliance stands in solidarity with @Wangchuk66 & Leh Apex Body. A meeting will be held soon to issue an official statement," activist Sajjad said on X.
Speaking to reporters, Mr Wangchuk said HIAL is a charitable trust and not his personal university. He said the Alternative University as a charitable organisation is duly registered and based on the registration, land was allotted.
He said the leadership of Ladakh supported the creation of HIAL after the success of Ice Stupa project - aimed at addressing Ladakh's water crisis.
"The allotment was made in 2018. Now the administration says it is not serving its purpose and suddenly cancelled it," said Mr Wangchuk.
According to Mr Wangchuk, 400 students have already passed out from HIAL and linked the cancellation order with the demand for constitutional safeguards for the region.
"The HIAL is not just the pride of Ladakh but of the whole Himalayas. Cancellation of land allotment has happened at a juncture when Ladakhi leaders are seeking safeguards for the region. It indicates designs," said Mr Wangchuk.
He said the central government has also stopped the dialogue process with Ladakhi leaders who are demanding restoration of democracy in the region.
