The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has initiated a preliminary inquiry into alleged violations of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) against climate activist Sonam Wangchuk and an institution he founded, an official said Thursday. The official said the preliminary inquiry was launched approximately two months ago, following a complaint from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), and it is still ongoing. Meanwhile, Wangchuk told PTI that a CBI team came with “an order” about 10 days ago, saying that they were acting on a complaint from the MHA regarding alleged FCRA violations in the Himalayan Institute of Alternatives Ladakh (HIAL). On Wednesday, hours after four people were killed in violence and police firing in Leh during a statehood protest, the MHA said the “mob was incited” by Wangchuk’s “provocative statements”. It said “certain politically motivated individuals were not happy with the progress” in the ongoing talks between the representatives of the government and Ladakh groups, and “have been trying to sabotage the dialogue process”. The massive shutdown in Ladakh turned violent as protesters demanding statehood and Sixth Schedule status set fire to a BJP office and clashed with police. The Leh Apex Body’s (LAB) youth wing had called for a protest and shutdown after two of the 15 people on a 35-day hunger strike, who had been on strike since September 10, were transferred to a hospital due to deteriorating health. Wangchuk ended his 15-day hunger fast following the violence. In a social media post, He appealed to Ladakh’s youth, urging them to protest peacefully and not derail the movement that has been ongoing for over five years, which seeks to encourage the Centre to advance talks on the long-pending demands. Wangchuk is an engineer and innovator of sustainable products. He is best known for inspiring a character essayed by Aamir Khan in the 2009 Hindi film 3 Idiots. In 2018, he was awarded the prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Award, in recognition of “his uniquely systematic, collaborative and community-driven reform of learning systems in remote northern India, thus improving the life opportunities of Ladakhi youth, and his constructive engagement of all sectors in local society… setting an example for minority peoples in the world”.
