New Delhi: After the cancellation of the Foreign Contribution Registration Act (FCRA) licences of five prominent non-governmental organisations (NGOs) on April 3, the home ministry has said that the action was taken following “due process of law”, the Economic Times reported.
CNI Synodical Board of Social Service, Voluntary Health Association of India (VHAI), Indo-Global Social Service Society, Church Auxiliary for Social Action and Evangelical Fellowship of India (EFI), are the five NGOs that lost their license.
EFI general secretary Vijayesh Lal confirmed that their renewal application of FCRA licence was denied. “It is very surprising that the umbrella and representative body of Evangelical Christians in India and one that is involved in significant inter-faith, charity, and prayer initiatives to bless and unite the nation, is identified as a body that can ‘prejudicially’ affect inter-religious, or social harmony,” Lal told the Economic Times.
“On the contrary, it is one of EFI’s main works to act as bridge builders and agents of reconciliation to bring together a society that is increasingly being fragmented on religious and political lines. We are still debating on the next course of action and will take a call on the same soon,” he added.
It may be noted that EFI collects and publishes data on attacks against Christians in India. Its reports include data on violence, attacks on churches or prayers meetings, harassment of those following their faith, ostracisation and limiting access to community resources, and false allegations, particularly those pertaining to ‘forced conversions’.
EFI has reported a massive increase in violence against christians under the Narendra Modi-led BJP government.
There has been a concerning rise in the list of NGOs whose FCRA licences have been cancelled or have not been renewed by the government.
Political analysts and civil rights groups say this is part of the Bharatiya Janata Party government’s move to suppress organisations that are critical of it.
VHAI, a federation of 27 State Voluntary Health Associations, links more than 4,500 health and development institutions across the country, according to its website.
The Synodical Board of Social Services is the development and justice board of the Church of North India (CNI). As per its website, CNI works on poverty alleviation and social justice for the poor and exploited, primarily with the Dalits and Adivasi communities and women who have been “socially and economically excluded”.
The Indo-Global Social Service Society, another NGO that lost its licence, works with the mandate for a humane social order based on truth, justice, freedom and equity, as per its website.
The Church’s Auxiliary for Social Action is the service wing of the National Council of Churches in India comprising the Orthodox and Protestant Church Societies in India. According to its website, it works “for the poorest of the poor irrespective of caste, religion, gender and political affiliations”.
The Union government had also cancelled the FCRA license of two Tamil Nadu-based christian organisations earlier this year – Tamil Nadu Social Service Society and World Vision India.
Over the past two years, more than 100 NGOs, including Centre for Policy Research, Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust and Oxfam India, have lost their FCRA licences on charges of alleged misuse of foreign grants, the Economic Times reported.
