Tightening the noose around dubious NGOs, using the amended FCRA (Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act), the Indian government in the past one-and-a-half month has suspended the foreign funding license of six NGOs, which includes Christian evangelist groups and Islamic charities allegedly linked to religious conversion or funds misutilization.
Conversion syndicates masquerading as NGOs
As reported by TFI last month, the FCRA license of Markazul Ighasathil Khairiyathil Hindiyya, a Kerala-based NGO linked to prominent Sunni leader Sheikh Aboobacker Ahmed was revoked over “misutilization” of funds, misrepresentation of facts, and non-filing of annual FCRA returns in 2019-20.
Meanwhile, Odisha-based People’s Organisation of Empowerment of Tribals and Heavenly Grace Ministries as well as Madurai-based Russ Foundation were issued suspension orders under FCRA on August 28. One of the directors of Russ Foundation home was arrested in 2019 for allegedly sexually assaulting a 10-year-old inmate.
In July, the home ministry rescinded the FCRA license of a Lucknow-based Al Hasan Educational and Welfare Organisation over their alleged activities related to forced religious conversions. Reported extensively by TFI, the aforementioned NGO was closely connected to Mohammad Umar Gautam, who was arrested by the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) for converting thousands of Hindus into Islam, mostly forced.
Umar Gautam was quoted as saying, “I converted at least 1,000 non-Muslims to Islam, marrying them all to Muslims.” He also confessed to having converted over 1,500 children at school for hearing and speech impaired in Noida on the pretext of employment and money.
In June, another spurious NGO named Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI), headed by Sanjoy Hazarika and headquartered in London, United Kingdom was also suspended. In its suspension order of June 7, the Ministry of Home Affairs had stated that information about the opening of a bank account in February 2016 was not intimated by CHRI to the authorities. It also accused CHRI of other violations of FCRA.
FCRA also cancelled licenses of 13 NGOs who were allegedly involved in religious conversions of tribals to Christianity, as reported by TFI.
Why NGOs?
Governments usually find the equitable distribution of resources among various states difficult due to the limitations of such resources. This gap between demand and supply had created the need for NGOs in the country.
Read More: Home Ministry puts development-hating green energy eco fascists under FCRA watchlist
Generally working on a non-profit basis, the NGOs have been functioning in India for ages without much regulation and control on their activities. With an extensive reach in the rural and suburban areas of the country, the activities of NGOs have hitherto been unchecked.
In the garb of working for the development of the marginalized, these NGOs lure innocent ones into the trap of conversion. Through money or other social benefits, the unsuspecting commoners are converted as the cycle continues to repeat itself.
Modi government’s fight against dubious NGOs
Ever since the Modi government assumed power, it has relentlessly cracked down on the foreign funding of the NGOs, who while working on Indian soil, serve vested interests, to the detriment of India. FCRA regulates the acceptance and usage of foreign contributions in India. Last year in September, to crack down on religious extremist NGOs looking to continue their mass conversion rackets, the government of India had amended FCRA.
This conversion business has started well before the independence under British Raj and since then been going on without any interruption and whole world knows that there are nearly thousands of NGO’s are conducting this conversion process and yet some of the entities are under deep slumber and total inactive state of this truth is Govt of India, people of Sanatan or Hindu religion, Supreme court and my question is when will these entities will wake up to realize this? and how to make them realize this?
Supreme court and Government of India must pass a Anti Religious Conversion legislature that will seriously punish the fraudulent, illegal and forced conversions that are going rampant in India.
1. MOST Important: In a country like India where religious pluralism(Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Parsis, Jews… many more Tribal religions) existed for centuries, declare it as illegal to say that “Idol worship is sin or people who worship Idols will go to Hell or will be punished by the God” and any similar statements that will hurt the fundamental practices of Sanatan or Hindu religion.
2. Conversion should be voluntary and shouldn’t takes place based on monetary and other material benefits or favors.
3. Missionaries or individuals should not take advantage of the vulnerable people by sponsoring education, shelter, food, medical care and other essential needs.
4. Missionaries or individuals should not use false statements like if you convert to this religion your sins will be forgiven by the god from the particular religion.
5. Missionaries or individuals should not use children in their shows for the purpose of propagating religion and Religious Conversions.
6. Make all fraudulent or forcible conversion as an offense, with a penalty of a 3-year sentence and a fine.
100 % agree with above comment. Vj , great points. Hope some one in government hears this.
I agree with the first comment. But,as a Christian, i am not feeling good with the word ‘attack’. India is a democratic country, we (all the religion) have had the right to be a missionaries in our own religious base. Fraudulent,illegal and forceful conversion are not right too.