Ladakh orders Wangchuk-founded institute to suspend school activities pending court ruling

The Ladakh administration has ordered the Himalayan Institute of Alternatives, founded by educationist Sonam Wangchuk, to suspend all activities at its Desert Flower School in Phyang until the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh issues a final verdict.

The directive came through a notice dated November 1 from the Office of the Tehsildar in Leh, addressed to Gitanjali J Angmo, Wangchuk’s wife and HIAL’s co-founder and CEO. On paper, HIAL is headed by Gitanjali Angmo.

“Stop education, prevent children from becoming educated, keep schools closed, but make alcohol more accessible and push the entire region towards alcoholism.”

The administration cancelled HIAL’s land allotment of 1,076 kanals and one marla, equivalent to 134.5 acres, on August 21, 2025. The land had originally been allotted in 2018, and a 40-year lease granted that year lapsed in May 2019.

The cancellation letter, signed by Deputy Commissioner Ronik Singh Donk, stated that HIAL had failed to convert the allotment into a lease agreement within one year and had not used the land to establish a recognised university. HIAL was also asked to remove its infrastructure so the land could be returned to the Ladakh Autonomous Hill District Council of Leh.

HIAL had filed a writ petition before the high court after the cancellation, and the case remains pending. Gitanjali Angmo previously claimed that university-related papers submitted to the University Grants Commission were kept on hold allegedly because of Sonam Wangchuk’s political activities.

Wangchuk criticised the administration, describing the action as a witch-hunt intended to silence dissent and create panic among parents. He contrasted restrictions on educational institutions with easier rules for liquor establishments, warning that the policies could push the region toward alcoholism.