Ladakh administration cancels land allotment to climate activist Sonam Wangchuk’s institute in Leh

The administration in Ladakh has cancelled the allotment of a plot of land to climate activist Sonam Wangchuk in Phyang village, Leh, for his institute, The Hindu reported on Saturday. The land was allotted to him in 2018.

Wangchuk described the move as a “witch-hunt” to suppress the demands of residents in the region, The Tribune reported.

The activist has been at the forefront of protests demanding statehood for Ladakh, its inclusion under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution and job reservations for locals.

The Sixth Schedule under Article 244 (Administration of Scheduled Areas and Tribal Areas) of the Constitution guarantees certain protections for land and a nominal autonomy for citizens in designated tribal areas. In Ladakh, more than 97% of the population belongs to Scheduled Tribes.

On Thursday, Leh Deputy Commissioner Romil Singh Donk issued an order stating that land measuring about 1,076 kanal and 1 marla, or around 135 acres, allotted to the Himalayan Institute of Alternative Learning “stands escheated to the state”.

Wangchuk is one of the founding directors of the institute.

The order said the 40-year lease granted in 2018 had lapsed in May 2019, as the institute did not execute the required deed, set up the proposed university or complete a formal handover of the land, The Hindu reported.

It also directed the Leh Autonomous Hill Development Council and...

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