Soumyajyoti Mandal, kolkata: The Ladakh administration has directed the Desert Flower School, founded under the Himalayan Institute of Alternatives (HIAL), associated with renowned educationist and climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, to suspend all its activities until the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh delivers its final verdict in an ongoing land dispute.
The directive was issued through a notice dated November 1 by the Tehsildar's office in Leh and addressed to Gitanjali J Angmo, co-founder and CEO of HIAL and wife of Sonam Wangchuk.
According to the administration, classes and other activities at the Desert Flower School in Phyang, Leh, had commenced without obtaining the necessary permissions, clearances and approvals from the competent authorities.
The notice also referred to a letter dated September 22, in which Angmo had approached the Leh Deputy Commissioner seeking a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for the proposed members of the school's managing committee. However, the administration reportedly found that school activities had begun before the required clearance was granted.
At the centre of the controversy is a land allotment of 1,076 kanals (approximately 134.5 acres) and one marla, originally allotted to HIAL. The Ladakh administration cancelled the land allotment in August 2025, following which the institute approached the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, challenging the decision. The matter is currently sub judice.
In view of the ongoing judicial proceedings, the administration has instructed HIAL and its representatives to maintain strict status quo and refrain from taking any further steps towards the functioning or commencement of activities at the school until the court delivers its final judgment or issues further directions.
The administration has also cautioned that no action should be taken that could adversely affect or prejudice the proceedings pending before the High Court.
The latest development has brought the future of the Desert Flower School under uncertainty, as its educational activities remain subject to the outcome of the ongoing legal battle over the land allotted to HIAL.
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