India’s environment minister has dismissed claims of a crackdown on green charities, saying that the government valued the role of civil society groups working to protect the country’s people, wildlife and forests.
Since Modi swept to power almost a year ago, his right-wing nationalist government has tightened surveillance on foreign-funded charities.
We value NGOs’ participation. We have conducted a workshop recently and a consultation meeting of more than 125 NGOs who are working in the field, with the masses, in forest, in wildlife and many other things.
– Prakash Javadekar, Environment Minister of India
More than 170 charities wrote an open letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi claiming his government was trying to muzzle foreign-funded non-profits that spoke out against industrial projects such as coal mining and power plants.
Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said his ministry “had nothing to do with it” and that different ministries had done this for “the internal security of the country”.
Government Sweepdown on NGOs in April
In April, the government cancelled licenses of about 9,000 charities and froze bank accounts of Greenpeace India.
According to the government, some had violated the law by not disclosing details of their donations, or used overseas money to engage in “anti-national” activities.
Charities reject the accusations and say authorities are exploiting an opaque law on foreign funding to silence dissent.
Greenpeace has said that a lack of funds could force its shutdown. The Delhi High Court in May allowed the group access to two of its seven blocked bank accounts to collect domestic donations, extending a lifeline to the organisation.
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