While Sonam Wangchuk, the climate activist, remains in jail, a parliamentary standing committee has described the Himalayan Institute of Alternatives (HIAL), founded by Wangchuk, as doing exemplary work, and has called for UGC recognition.
The committee has recommended that the UGC grant recognition to the HIAL, and that its model be replicated through centres of innovation in education.
The committee, whose report was tabled in Parliament, said it was impressed during a study visit to Ladakh by the HIAL’s academic, research, and entrepreneurship ecosystem, and it recommended recognition.
The HIAL is praised for its experiential, project-based learning, which is rooted in local socio-cultural and ecological contexts.
Famed for working with local communities, the HIAL’s journey has not been without legal troubles, indicating that its work has displeased the government.
Due to Wangchuk’s outspoken criticism of the government’s handling of Ladakh’s autonomy, the HIAL has faced challenges, including the cancellation of land allotment and the loss of its FCRA registration, which has led to the automatic suspension of foreign funding.
Wangchuk was arrested on 26 September, two days after violent protests demanding statehood and Sixth Schedule status for Ladakh, which left four people dead and 90 injured. The climate activist, who has been instrumental in directing conversations around climate change in the Himalayas, remains in jail under the National Security Act.
The government must release Sonam Wangchuk and stop targeting activists who do not align with its views.