Ladakh activist's wife accuses bureaucrats of stalling kindergarten school
Gitanjali J. Angmo alleged the Ladakh administration is conducting a witch-hunt by preventing admissions at the Desert Flower School.
Gitanjali J. Angmo, wife of activist Sonam Wangchuk, accused Ladakh bureaucrats on Tuesday of stalling a kindergarten school under different pretexts, according to The Hindu. She termed the actions of the administration a witch-hunt and described the government as incompetent.
The Ladakh administration stated that the Desert Flower School, part of the Himalayan Institute of Alternatives, Ladakh (HIAL), commenced functioning without necessary approvals from the competent authority. The administration has asked HIAL to maintain the status quo to avoid prejudice to a land lease case pending before the High Court of J&K and Ladakh.
Ms. Angmo said the construction of the school began in 2023 with donations from Public Sector Units. She claimed that while they followed approval processes, they were directed to obtain a no-objection certificate from the Deputy Commissioner, Leh, regarding the absence of political members in the managing committee.
Ms. Angmo described the government's claims regarding the land lease as baseless. She noted that the court had previously highlighted official delays in the extension of the land lease.
Sonam Wangchuk also described the official notice as a witch-hunt. He alleged the administration targets those who raise voices against its policies and said the notice is intended to scare parents from admitting their children into the school.