EDITORIAL
Charity is guided by noble intentions. However, when charity combines hefty funds flow and activism, it is often that the good intentions take a back seat and vested interests gain the upper hand. This appears to be the case with several of the NGOs operating in this country as also worldwide. The stated agenda of these organisations are hijacked for ulterior motives either from up above its functional nerve centre or down below at the level of activists. Under these circumstances, the present crackdown by the Union Government against NGOs must get qualified support. It is justified but only in as far as it concerned national interests or the attempt is to set a wrong right.
What started off nearly a year ago as an investigation into the Sabrang Trust and Sabrang Communications and Publications Pvt Ltd, based out of Bombay and having concentrated much of their activities in Gujarat post 2002 riots, has come full circle. In a nationwide crackdown, the registrations of over 1,000 NGOs have been cancelled, the accounts of 34 organisations frozen, and 68 NGOs prohibited from receiving foreign funds. As many as 16 foreign donor agencies, most prominently Ford Foundation that aided Sabrang among others, can now provide funds to Indian beneficiaries only after obtaining prior permission from the Union Home Ministry in respect of each funds transfer.
That all is certainly not well with the NGO sector is known for quite some time. Several of them do seem to be taking the people for a ride. NGOs have their fair, or even unfairly large, share of activists promoting their personal or vested interests. It has been a ‘free-for-all’ since the UPA period, when there were hardly any checks and balances in this respect. It may not be out of place to mention here that earlier on, the government was very bothered fighting a socially active movement against a nuclear project in the south or those fighting GM crops.
In general, as of now, several NGOs are caught on the wrong foot essentially in respect of their failure to adhere to procedural formalities and failure to properly account for the donation money they spent. Several of them had not submitted IT returns or ‘declared’ donations they received from abroad. This cannot be justified in any way whatsoever. Sadly though, it is quite possible that several well-known environmental protection campaigns will now easily be termed as being anti-national and suppressed with harshness.
Action against Ford Foundation and Greenpeace, in particular, drew major public attention, prompted an international debate and irked the US administration as well. Ford Foundation has been put on the ‘watch’ list after irregularities were noticed in its donations to Sabrang of Teesta Setelvad and Javed Anand. The NGO was prominently part of an international campaign against the Gujarat Government’s role in the 2002 riots and then Chief Minister Narendra Damodardass Modi’s alleged antipathy to victims from the minority community.
The government says Ford Foundation is found to have been funding NGOs that were not registered under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act. The Foundation provides funds to the order of Rs 100crore to Indian NGOs for what are seen as ‘positive’ interventions in civil society campaigns, in promoting education and such activities. Greenpeace, also a major donor, is globally renowned for its environment protection
campaigns and has a record of locking horns with governments across the world. It has appreciable credentials. The French government once sank its ship, while Russia sank its boat and jailed activists. Now, in India, its funds stand frozen, taking the matter to the brink of an abrupt closure of its operations in the country. A Greenpeace activist was offloaded from a plane after security agencies did a search of her bag. It allegedly carried stacks of documents aimed at ‘defaming India’ at international fora. Whether or not the allegation has any substance is not easy to judge at this point of time. Governmental agencies with their whims and especially after having been given a free hand in the matter would but be naturally going overboard. That is quite understandable.
Also under the scanner is the Melinda and Bill Gates Foundation that is doing yeoman services in the health care sector but keeps political activism out of its ambit. Its funds flow to India is of multi-million dollar range, and it has won a top governmental honour as well. In the case of Gates, what is prima facie a matter of doubt is its credits did not match debits vis-a-vis funds assignment to its local outfit, Public Health Foundation of India.
While the scrutiny that the new government has set in motion is welcome, what must be stressed at this point is that its vigour in this respect should be guided in toto by national interests. Most importantly, an impression should not go around that the government is on a witch hunt against those who had in the past taken a stand against Narendra Damodardass Modi or the pogrom he had launched against the minorities. Like the proverbial line that said, “let the baby not be thrown out with the bath water”, the Union Government should be dispassionate in its assessment of the NGOs’ and the kind of work they do.