10 NGOs’ use of foreign funds under Govt lens

The Union Home Ministry has initiated a probe against 10 NGOs, alleged to be channelising foreign funds received by them to fan political unrest in the country. While the Government didn’t name the voluntary organisations, the strong possibility of NGOs involved in recent protests against corruption being investigated is not being ruled out.

Especially since during Anna Hazare’s agitation in August, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had hinted on “foreign forces” being behind the fasting Gandhian’s anti-corruption drive. Cautioning that “we must not play into their hands”, the PM, in his speech in Parliament, had said, “There are many forces that would not like to see India realise its true place in the comity of nations. We must not create an environment in which our economic progress is hijacked by internal dissension.”

Sources said the probe has been ordered after the Home Ministry received information that funds worth crores of rupees received by these NGOs have been given to social activists to stage protests and resort to other agitations against Government policies thus creating unrest.

The probe has been initiated amid reports pointing to Denmark’s plans to provide funds to the outfits that rally against the Indian Government’s policies. Sources said the Home Ministry was alerted by the External Affairs Ministry on the funding from Denmark to NGOs for organising protests against the Government. “It’s also on reports on misuse of such funds by NGO’s involved in Anna Hazare’s protests,” Home Ministry sources maintained.

Indian Ambassador in Denmark has reported to the MEA that the newly-elected Minister for Development Cooperation Christian Friis Bach, has voiced plans “to use the Danish official development aid as a tool to generate popular unrest in recipient countries” so that citizens can get their rights by fighting for them.

“We are trying to find out the source of the fund, to whom these have been given and what kind of unrest they wanted to create. If we get proof, we will definitely take action,” an official said.

Friis, a member of the Social Liberal Party, is reported to have cited India’s Right to Food Campaign while explaining his approach. He is reported to have said that a group of citizens sued the Government because 400 million people did not have sufficient food, though it was their Constitutional right. As things stand, the Right to Food Campaign is being spearheaded by the PUCL since 2001, when it filed a PIL in the Supreme Court in this regard. A number of other NGOs too are involved in the campaign.