SUMMARY

SECMOL faced an unprecedented problem in 2007, which led us to withdraw from our work in school system reform and collaboration with the government Education Department in Leh District. A non-local official posted in charge of Leh District's administration, Mr MK Dwivedi, after a yearlong struggle with local NGOS, in early 2007 suddenly levelled a set of false allegations against SECMOL director Sonam Wangchuk. When we informed the public about it and they began to come out in protest, this official misused his powers and banned all our communication with the public, as if we were a terrorist outfit!

Although local supporters were prevented from protesting (after the first day) or expressing their support in any other way, friends accross India and the world came through. Newspapers and magazines at state and national level covered the issue, and the Asian Human Rights Commission posted the case on their website. SECMOL's former students and volunteers, network partners, colleagues, resource persons, trainers, and participants in previous work sent letters to the President of India and many other highly placed persons until Mr Dwivedi was removed from Leh.

The buttons at left have links to some of the articles about the case in newspapers and magazines, previous letters from various government bodies appreciating SECMOL's collaboration in school reform, and the letters between Mr Dwivedi and the NGOs, including his accusations.

Heartfelt thanks to all you who sent letters of support!

DETAILS

In 2006, Mr MK Dwivedi, at that time the new Deputy Commissioner (DC) or District Magistrate (DM), the head of the local administration, started attacking the non-governmental organisations (NGOs) of Ladakh soon after his arrival. To his surprise, the NGOs united and fought back, starting a legal case against his unwarranted orders. He responded with further attacks, and several environmental and sustainable development projects fell victim.

Finally the DC accused SECMOL's director, Sonam Wangchuk, of 'anti-national connections in China,' land-grabbing, and violation of FCRA norms. When the DC sent these wild allegations to the police to initiate action, SECMOL made a video CD explaining our side of the story and sent it out to all the Ladakhi villages. People started streaming in from villages to protest, and when the DC had one of our staff arrested for distributing it, our staff and student members protested as well.

At that point the DC imposed 'Section 144' against SECMOL, prohibiting us from holding gatherings or even sending out material to the public. With the police waiting in Leh bazaar to stop protests, the public was intimidated and we learned of several groups that had intended to protest or deliver statements of support but turned back. Even the local All India Radio station refused to read statements in support of SECMOL, citing orders from the DC. Meanwhile certain people who were opposed to education reform and the accountability it had brought conducted vigorous campaigns to prevent teachers, Village Education Committee members, and other supporters from expressing their views.

Because of all this, we had to withdraw from our longstanding partnership in government school reform activities — even though the President of India, Dr APJ Kalam, had come here in the summer of 2006 to launch a new phase of education reform in Ladakh that was to be (again) a collaboration between the Hill Council (LAHDC Leh) and SECMOL.

Taking up the issue, the Asian Human Rights Commission in Hong Kong put an appeal on their website, and people from all over India and the world who had worked with SECMOL or knew our work sent letters to the President of India and the governments of India and J&K. Finally in June 2007, Mr Dwivedi was transferred prematurely out of his post as DC of Leh District.

After much discussion, the SECMOL Board has decided for the time being to continue only the self-supporting parts of SECMOL's work: SECMOL Alternative Institute campus at Phey and its youth programmes, Shesyon Solar Earthworks construction, and the audio / video media section are still going strong.