Govt cancels FCRA licence of Sonam Wangchuk’s NGO

Sonam Wangchuk

The Union Home Ministry on Thursday cancelled the FCRA licence of the Students' Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh (SECMOL), an organisation founded by climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, with “immediate effect.”

The ministry cited several discrepancies in SECMOL’s accounts, including a fund transfer from Sweden, which it said went against “national interest.”

The decision came a day after four people were killed in clashes between statehood protesters and security personnel during a shutdown in Leh. The government has blamed Wangchuk for inciting the violence.

When contacted by PTI, Wangchuk said, “I was just a donor for the organisation and I teach there,” adding that he was unaware of the licence cancellation.

Besides SECMOL, Wangchuk also founded the Himalayan Institute of Alternatives, Ladakh (HIAL), which is under a CBI inquiry for alleged FCRA violations.

According to the home ministry, SECMOL’s licence to receive foreign contributions was earlier granted for cultural and educational programmes. A show-cause notice had been issued over alleged irregularities in its finances.

One such violation, the ministry said, was a deposit of ₹3.5 lakh into the organisation’s FCRA account during 2021–22, in violation of Section 17 of the Act. SECMOL explained that the money came from the sale of an old bus purchased earlier with FCRA funds, and argued that proceeds were therefore deposited in the same account as per rules.

The ministry, however, pointed out that the sum was received in cash, which violated the law, and was not properly disclosed.

“Further, an amount of ₹3.35 lakh has been intimated by the association...as FC donation from Sonam Wangchuk. However, this transaction is not reflected in FCRA account in violation of section 18 of the Act,” the order said.

Another irregularity flagged was the transfer of ₹54,600 of local funds into the FCRA account, which SECMOL admitted was a mistake.

The ministry also questioned the receipt of around ₹4.93 lakh from Sweden, meant for workshops on migration, climate change, global warming, food security, sovereignty, and organic farming. Rejecting SECMOL’s claim that the money was used for educational purposes, the ministry said, “foreign contribution cannot be accepted for study on sovereignty of the nation as it is against national interests.”

Citing multiple discrepancies, the Home Ministry said it exercised powers under Section 14 of the FCRA to cancel SECMOL’s licence.

Earlier in the day, Wangchuk alleged that the government was preparing a case against him to silence his activism.

“I see they are building up a case to bring me under the Public Safety Act and throw me in jail for two years,” he said.

“I am ready for that, but Sonam Wangchuk in jail may cause them more problems than free Sonam Wangchuk,” he added.