Sonam Wangchuk’s wife told to stop classes in Leh school

Ladakh authorities ordered HIAL and Desert Flower School to pause the school’s planned opening and all other activities inside the complex. The direction applies while the High Court considers HIAL’s challenge to the cancellation of its land allotment. Authorities said starting activities could prejudice the pending case.

The Leh tehsildar told HIAL to maintain “strict status quo.” It also said the institute must not take “any action whatsoever” toward the school’s functioning or commencement of activities. The school had been preparing for a new academic session and had sought an NOC, but none had been granted.

The order does not decide the land dispute itself. It temporarily freezes the school’s operations until the High Court gives its final decision. Gitanjali J. Angmo called the notice baseless, said a reply had been sent, and blamed authorities for delaying the NOC.

Gitanjali J. Angmo is identified in the notice as HIAL’s official founder and CEO. She is also Sonam Wangchuk’s wife. The authorities addressed the notice about Desert Flower School to her because of her formal leadership role in HIAL, the institute connected with the school.

Her role matters because the notice concerns HIAL’s conduct at the school complex. Authorities said school activities were being started without the required consent, clearances, and approvals. They therefore directed HIAL, through Angmo, not to begin or continue steps toward functioning at the school.

Angmo disputed the authorities’ position. She described the notice as “baseless,” said a reply had been sent, and blamed officials for delaying the school’s NOC. The High Court’s decision on HIAL’s land dispute will determine the broader legal position, while the notice currently keeps activities paused.

“Strict status quo” means no party should change the situation on the ground while a court is deciding the dispute. Here, it means HIAL and Desert Flower School must not move ahead with classes, opening arrangements, or other school activities at the Leh complex.

The Leh tehsildar’s notice used especially broad wording. It told HIAL not to undertake “any action whatsoever” toward the school’s functioning or commencement of activities. Authorities said starting school activities without required approvals could prejudice the proceedings pending in the High Court.

This is an interim restriction, not a final ruling on who owns or may use the land. The school had sought an NOC for its new academic session, but it had not received one. Activities must remain frozen until the High Court gives its final decision on HIAL’s challenge to the cancelled land allotment.

A no-objection certificate, or NOC, is an official document stating that a competent authority has no objection to a proposed activity. For a school, it can help show that the institution has met relevant administrative, safety, land, and education requirements before classes begin. The exact requirements depend on the authorities involved.

In this case, Desert Flower School was preparing for a new academic session and had sought an NOC. The government spokesperson said school activities had reportedly begun without requisite consent, clearances, and approvals from concerned authorities. That was one reason officials issued the notice.

The NOC had not been granted when the notice was issued. Gitanjali J. Angmo blamed the authorities for the delay and said she had sent a reply. The notice then required HIAL to maintain strict status quo and stop steps toward opening the school while the High Court examines the land dispute.

The protests in Leh last September were connected with demands for statehood and Sixth Schedule status for Ladakh. The violence was severe: four people were killed, and scores more were injured in alleged police firing on protesters. The article does not give an exact number for those injured.

This episode is included in an affidavit filed by Ladakh authorities in HIAL’s land dispute. The affidavit accused Sonam Wangchuk of inciting violence during the protests. Wangchuk is also a member of the Leh Apex Body, which is helping lead the demands and talks with the Centre on autonomy.

The allegations form part of the wider dispute surrounding HIAL, but the article does not report a court finding on them. It says the protests involved demands for constitutional and political changes in Ladakh. The High Court case itself concerns the cancellation of HIAL’s land allotment and the institute’s challenge to that action.

The High Court is reviewing HIAL’s challenge to Ladakh authorities’ cancellation of its land allotment. If the court upholds that cancellation, the authorities’ decision would remain in force. HIAL would therefore have no successful legal challenge to the allotment described in this case.

That outcome could prevent HIAL from relying on the disputed allotment to operate Desert Flower School at the Leh complex. The school’s activities are already frozen by the tehsildar’s notice, which requires strict status quo and bars steps toward functioning until the court decides the dispute. The authorities have also accused HIAL of occupying the land without paying dues.

The article does not state exactly what the High Court would order after upholding the cancellation. It does not specify eviction, closure, or another remedy. It does show that the school cannot proceed under the current notice, and that the allotment decision is central to its future at the site.

Statehood would make Ladakh a separate state within India, with the constitutional position and elected institutions associated with state governments. Sixth Schedule status is a constitutional framework for certain tribal areas that provides autonomous councils and special powers over aspects of local governance. These definitions come from established constitutional usage; the article itself only identifies them as demands.

The article says Leh Apex Body and other organisations are spearheading these demands. They are also holding talks with the Centre on autonomy. The protests in Leh last September were linked to the same demands, and authorities’ affidavit connected Sonam Wangchuk to alleged violence during them.

The groups seek greater control over Ladakh’s affairs, although the article does not list every requested power or protection. It presents statehood and Sixth Schedule status as competing or combined political demands for autonomy. Their status remains unresolved in the information provided, while the HIAL land dispute proceeds separately in the High Court.