Centre Revokes Foreign Funding Licence Of Sonam Wangchuck's NGO; Activist Reacts

The Ministry of Home Affairs has revoked the FCRA licence of Sonam Wangchuk's NGO SECMOL due to allegations of financial misconduct and violations of foreign funding laws. An inquiry by the Central Bureau of Investigation is also underway regarding Wangchuk's other NGO, Himalayan Institute of Advance Learning.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has revoked the FCRA licence of Sonam Wangchuk's NGO, SECMOL, effective immediately. This decision follows allegations of financial misconduct and violations of foreign funding regulations by the organisation.

The SECMOL was initially registered under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010 to conduct cultural and educational programmes. However, during the fiscal year 2020-21, three individuals deposited local funds totalling Rs.54,600 into the NGO's FCRA account, breaching section 17 of the Act, Times Now reports.

Foreign Funding Violations

The ministry highlighted that funds were also received in Wangchuk's personal and joint accounts, which is a direct breach of FCRA 2010. The NGO reportedly received crores from abroad between 2021 and 2024. These transactions have raised suspicions about potential money laundering activities involving unknown entities.

"While Sonam Wangchuk continues to project himself as a representative of the people's cause, the record of financial misconduct suggests otherwise," stated the MHA order. "His actions risk derailing constructive dialogue and turning genuine concerns into tools for personal and political gain."

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has also launched an inquiry into Wangchuk's other NGO, Himalayan Institute of Advance Learning (HIAL). An officer revealed that Wangchuk was summoned by CBI but has yet to respond. The investigation began two months ago based on a reference from MHA.

The agency is currently scrutinising financial statements from HIAL and Wangchuk as part of their probe. They initiated a preliminary enquiry (PE), which precedes filing a first information report (FIR), to determine if there is a case against Wangchuk and HIAL.

Allegations of Inciting Violence

The Centre accused Wangchuk of inciting violence in Ladakh by misleading people with provocative mentions of Arab Spring-style protests and recent Gen Z protests in Nepal. On September 10, he began a hunger strike demanding statehood for Ladakh under the sixth schedule of the constitution.

MHA noted that despite ongoing discussions with Apex Body Leh (ABL) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), Wangchuk continued his hunger strike. His speeches allegedly provoked a mob to attack political and government offices in Leh on Wednesday.

Violent Protests Erupt

On Wednesday at around 11:30 am, a mob reportedly instigated by Wangchuk's speeches left the hunger strike venue. They attacked a political party office and set fire to government offices in Leh. Security personnel were assaulted, resulting in over 30 injuries among police/CRPF officers.

The mob continued destroying public property and attacking police forces. In self-defence, police resorted to firing, leading to unfortunate casualties. The situation escalated due to Wangchuk's alleged incitement through his speeches.

Wangchuk defended his actions by claiming they misunderstood his intentions regarding foreign contributions. He explained that they export knowledge for revenue rather than relying on foreign funds but acknowledged instances where it appeared as foreign contributions.

Activist Sonam Wangchuk has said that his organisation did not have an FCRA license.

In a statement to ANI, he said, "A day later (after Leh protests), the Home Ministry of India issued a press release naming Sonam Wangchuk in it and blaming him... I had received a notice about a CBI inquiry stating that your organisation received foreign funding even when it did not have FCRA. We did not get FCRA because we don't want funds from abroad. United Nations team wanted to take our Passive Solar Heated Building to Afghanistan, and for this, they gave us a fee. We also got fees with tax from Switzerland and Italy organisations for supplying knowledge to them about our artificial glaciers...We are getting I-T summons. In the series of witch hunting, yesterday's events were the last and all blame was put on Sonam Wangchuk."