NGOs flay govt over FCRA misuse

Mathew Cherian, who represents Voluntary Action Network of India, said, “There is global recognition that major strength and hope of India lie in its vibrant network of civil society organisations. We are witnessing that a concerted attempt is being made by the state to use FCRA law to erode the credibility of leading and reputed NGOs.”

Sharing his sentiments, Venkatesh Nayak of the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative said, “The law is geared towards restricting the capability of NGOs to receive foreign fund, rather than facilitating them to work for the marginalised.”

Speaking on behalf of the recently created CSO Support Cell, Biraj Patnaik said complaints were pouring in from all parts of the country and there was an urgent need for a structured dialogue between the state and the CSOs on a wide range of issues pertaining to the framework of the regulatory laws currently operational.

Venkatesh Nayak said that even while the government was hounding NGOs on technical grounds by taking away their eligibility for receiving foreign funding, political parties have approved an amendment permitting them to receive funding from foreign companies through their Indian subsidiaries with retrospective effect.