Stop "uninformed visits" by IB cops to NGO offices: Top Indian civil society network to Ministry of Home Affairs

The Voluntary Action Network of India (VANI), the country’s apex body of 500 NGOs, has asked the Ministry of Home Affairs to immediately stop “surprise visits by local intelligence bureau (IB) cops to NGO offices. In a letter to MHA, Harsh Jaitli, CEO,VANI, has said, the view is strong among them that they are “victim of local IB and police who often visit uninformed and most often do not share their purpose and identity proofs.”
Pointing out that this should be part of the “attempt to enhance transparency and accountability” in the NGO sector, VANI, which held consultations in mid-June on suggestions to proposed amendments to the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Rules (FCRR), 2011, also insisted that going over to the online reporting system may be a desirable, as MHA wants, but the MHA must also move to create “enabling environment for the same.”
“The electronic system, as proposed by MHA, needs to be efficient and manageable”, the letter underlined, adding, however, while doing this, “concerns of small grassroots organizations to function electronically” should be addressed, because they “do not have online access and many a time face such difficulty due to poor internet connections.” In fact, it insisted, “Procuring digitally signature is beyond the capacity of smaller grassroots organizations.”
Pointing out that “only online provision will be extremely difficult for the smaller grassroots organizations who play a huge role in nation development”, the letter said, this is particularly difficult for organizations working in conflict areas such as Naxal prone areas, “where law and order is an issue due to display of real time financial data on their websites… The internal security of such organizations may come under threat due to cyber-crimes.”
The letter complained, “Many organizations in rural areas have experienced non-cooperation from banks to open foreign contribution (FC) account due to various obligations for banks.” In this context, it said, it was impossible to “submit details of fund receipt within 48 hours”, as required by MHA, adding the “earlier 30 days was quite reasonable”.
In fact, the letter said, “Due to extreme pressure on banks for speedy reporting, there will an increased fear among banks to open the FCRA accounts, and in many cases they might deny opening the accounts.”
The letter objected to “seeking details” of Facebook, Twitter and other social networking sites, saying this is “not acceptable.” It insisted, “All the participant organizations shared the common concern that seeking such details entails restricting the social space of individuals which amounts to curtailment of fundamental right of the citizens of this country.”
Then, the letter asked the MHA to “develop a database of organizations with all their documents and details in one place, rather than procuring the same information again and again after every five years during the renewal process.”
Wanting a proper grievance redressal mechanism for NGOs to be in place, the letter said, this is particularly important “looking at the volume of the NGO sector, their grievances and geographical spread.” It added, “Since there has been a long communication gap between the MHA and the sector, this (can be) a window for enhanced communication and speedy redressal of issues.”
Referring to the controversial MHA order placing “many major donor organisations under Prior Approval Category”, the letter said, “not all projects supported by these donors” are under scanner of the MHA. “Hence, to facilitate the smooth implementation of such socially useful projects, VANI would like to interact with the MHA to develop guidelines or system where it becomes less painful and well-coordinated with Banks”, it suggested.
---
For section-wise proposals by VANI on amendments to FCRR, click HERE

Comments

A conman, a demolition man: How 'prominent' scribes are defending Pritish Nandy

How to defend Pritish Nandy? That’s the big question some of his so-called fans seem to ponder, especially amidst sharp criticism of his alleged insensitivity during his journalistic career. One such incident involved the theft and publication of the birth certificate of Masaba Gupta, daughter of actor Neena Gupta, in the Illustrated Weekly of India, which Nandy was editing at the time. He reportedly did this to uncover the identity of Masaba’s father.

Whither Jeffrey Sachs-supported research project which 'created' Gujarat model of development for Modi?

Even as Donald Trump was swearing-in as US President, a friend forwarded to me a YouTube video in which veteran world renowned economist Prof Jeffrey Sachs participated and sought an answer as to why Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was "afraid to fly" despite being invited to Donald Trump's swearing in ceremony. This took my memory to 2003, when I -- as representative of the Times of India -- had a short tet-a-tat along with a couple of other reporters with Sachs in the chief minister's office in Gandhinagar.

Busy taking books to the needy, this rationalist exposes miracles in a superstition-infested Gujarat society

I knew his name as a campaigner against the sheer wastage of the large amounts of ghee brought by devotees from across India for a major religious ceremony conducted every year in Rupal village, near Gandhinagar, the Gujarat capital, on the ninth day of Navratri. I had seen him at several places during my visits to different NGO meetings as well as some media conferences.

No to free thought? How Gujarat's private universities are cowing down their students

"Don't protest"—that's the message private universities across Gujarat seem to be conveying to their students. A senior professor told me that students at the university where he teaches are required to sign an undertaking promising not to engage in protests. "They simply sign the undertaking and hand it over to the university authorities," he said.

'Potentially lethal, carcinogenic': Global NGO questions India refusing to ban white asbestos

Associated with the Fight Inequality Alliance, a global movement that began in 2016 to "counter the concentration of power and wealth among a small elite", claiming to have members in the United Kingdom, South Africa, Kenya, Zambia, the Philippines, and Denmark, the advocacy group Confront Power appears all set to intensify its campaign against India as "the world’s largest asbestos importer".

To be or not to be Sattvik: Different communities' differing notions of purity and fasting

This is a continuation of my last blog on Sattvik food. When talking about Sattvik, there is a tendency to overlook what it may mean to different sections of people around the world. First, let me redefine Sattvik: it means having a "serene, balanced, and harmonious mind or attitude." Derived from the Sanskrit word sattva, it variously means "pure, essence, nature, vital, energy, clean, conscious, strong, courage, true, honest, and wise." How do people achieve this so-called purity? Among Gujarati Hindus, especially those from the so-called upper castes who are vegetarians, one common way is fasting. On fasting days, such as agiyarash —the 11th day of the lunar cycle in the Vedic calendar—my close relatives fast but consume milk, fruit juices, mangoes, grapes, bananas, almonds, pistachios, and potato-based foods, including fried items. Another significant fasting period is adhik maas. During this time, many of my relatives "fast" by eating only a single me...

Sattvik Food Festival: Shouldn't one question notion of purity, cultural exclusion in food choices?

Recently, I visited the Sattvik Food Festival, an annual event in Ahmedabad organized by Anil Gupta, professor emeritus at the Indian Institute of Management-Ahmedabad (IIM-A). I have known Prof. Gupta since 1993, when I sought an appointment to meet him a few months after joining The Times of India in Ahmedabad—one reason why I have always been interested in the activities he is involved in.

World Bank approved $800 for Amravati despite negative internal view, court, NGO objections: CFA

Despite over 170 representatives by civil society organisations, hailing from 17 countries, all of them written to the World Bank’s executive directors calling upon the top banker to defer its approval, even as seeking further detailed studies, the Bank’s board of directors has approved $800 million for the Amaravati Capital City project.

Shyam Benegal's Mathan a propaganda film that supported 'system'? No way

A few days ago, I watched Manthan, a Shyam Benegal movie released in 1976. If I remember correctly, the first time I saw this movie was with Safdar Hashmi, one of the rare young theater icons who was brutally murdered in January 1989. Back then, having completed an M.A. in English Literature from Delhi University in 1975, we would often move around together.

Search This Blog