Military & Aerospace

Foreign Funding of Indian NGOs
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Issue Net Edition | Date : 21 Apr , 2014

About Donors

A review of the objects of the top 15 donors indicate their work is to do with children, education, HIV/AIDS, health, human rights.

Had the Government of India invited these organizations to supplement its efforts?

Would foreign governments allow Indian NGO’s to do in their country what their NGO’s do in India? “Incidentally, there is an act in the USA called Foreign Agents Registration Act [FARA] and it provides for penalties up to ten years in jail for acting as a foreign agent or getting foreign funds without notification to the Attorney General. FARA was originally passed in 1938 to prevent the spread of Nazi ideas and propaganda”.

How does MHA ensure that in the name of child education and human rights divisive tendencies and conversions amongst the local people are not undertaken?

For eg World Vision International USA donated Rs 706 crs in 2008-09. “World Vision is one of the organizations blamed by natives as the chief investigator for the gunning down, in 2008, of a Hindu monk for their work in counteracting Christian proselytizing. Maoists claimed responsibility for the killing. The Evangelist-Maoist connection triggered Hindu- Christian violence’. Former Bihar Home Secretary, Afzal Amanullah, stated ‘Intelligence agencies report Maoists getting money from foreign-funded NGOs. Now, we have to do a lot of planning to stop this worrisome syndrome from spreading”. Breaking India by Rajiv Malhotra and Aravindan Neelakandan.

It is an acknowledged fact that conversions disturb the cultural and social fabric in society. The author experienced that first hand during a recent trip to Arunachal Pradesh.

There are, however, organizations that receive foreign funds and doing excellent work.

The Nation must question the need for such organizations!

Top 15 Recipient Associations Trends 2010-11

At the height of the Kundankulam agitation senior journalist Venky Vembhu wrote, “The NGOs that are at the centre of the latest action haven’t been named, but they are believed to be those associated with Bishop Yvon Ambroise, the Tuticorin church leader, who has been active in mobilising popular support for the protests at Kudankulam. Two of the NGOs associated with Ambroise – the Tuticorin Diocese Association (TDA) and the Tuticorin Multipurpose Social Service Society (TMSSS) – have been working in the area of fishermen’s livelihood, and their support for the anti-nuclear agitation draws on the fears to the fisherfolks’ livelihood from the nuclear power plant’. To read more http://www.firstpost.com/politics/church-role-in-kudankulam-protests-merits-wider-probe-228719.html

Ford Foundation has been in the news lately because of grants to some high profile individuals. Since the Foundation is a grant making organization and not a recipient of funds its site has consolidated audited financial statements only. The goal of Ford Foundation India is ‘The goal of our work is to address persistent poverty by empowering socially marginalized groups and improving government policies’.

Do the goals of many NGO’s not reflect an air of superiority amongst the Western world as if they are solely responsible for human rights, health and poverty alleviation etc worldwide.

Social service organizations are not the only recipients of foreign donations. Large number of Think-Tanks benefit from such generosity too. To read more http://www.openthemagazine.com/article/business/foreign-funding-of-ngos

About NGO’s who received Foreign Funding

A number of recipient organizations have not uploaded audited accounts on the site. Should NGO’s be covered by the Right to Information Act even though they use foreign money?

A number of associations who receive money refer to address persistent poverty by empowering socially marginalized groups, removal of injustice, fight violence against women etc. These issues are typically pursued by Western Governments. For e.g. have you read reports of religious freedom and women’s rights on their own countries.

Action Aid India’s Annual Report 2012-13 refers to National Study on the status of Muslims in India. Does this not tantamount to interfering in India’s domestic affairs? How would UK respond if a RSS Think Tank did a study on the condition of Muslims in UK?

In a deeper sense there is a fundamental flaw with organizations who over-emphasize the western concept of human rights. It makes Indians look at the world through a western prism instead of an Indic one.

Maharishi Aurobindo said, “Dharma is the Indian conception in which rights and duties loose the artificial antagonism created by a view of the world, which makes selfishness the root of action, and regain their deep and eternal unity. Dharma is the basis of democracy which Asia must recognize, for in this lies the distinction between the soul of Asia and the soul of Europe”.

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The views expressed are of the author and do not necessarily represent the opinions or policies of the Indian Defence Review.

About the Author

Sanjeev Nayyar

Author is a strategic affairs analyst, Chartered Accountant and founder www.esamskriti.com . Tweets at @nayyarsanjeev

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12 thoughts on “Foreign Funding of Indian NGOs

  1. Dear Sir,
    With due respect, I would like to draw your attention, that I am Mehebub Hasan Chairman of Murshidabad Agrani Seva Samity (MASS) from Berhampore and have an orphan unit. There are Free Book Bank and 105 child, the age limit below 14 years and are fully looked after by me. So that huge amount are needed to maintained them.
    I would therefore requesting you to donate some money in my organization and I will be highly obliged.

    Please Visit My web Side http://www.massngo.tk

    Thanking you
    Yours faithfully

    MEHEBUB HASAN

  2. Our ngo also available fcra and some little projects of fcra working sir any opportunity to do work with u in big level ya short term so please join with us i am interested to work in social development .my main focus in india people developed her quality and understanding the equality power of humunity.my ccontact no is 9910529203

  3. Dear, reader attention please serve humanity for human, join us and let the feel free to person with disability they also have freedom of speak they also have right to express their emotion they also have right to live freely

    We are working for person with disability in India the situation of person with disability is too much worse I found in my serve there is emotional violation going on with person with disability it start from their own family the person with disability could not share it with anybody due fear of their own family unfortunately some family make them source of income but behave with them like slave and showing to other they behave very well with them our stooge society is agree with this act (miley sur mera tumhara). what the person with disability will do other will decide, what person with disability will think other will decide. every day women raped (hamare bhartiya samaj me mahilaaon ko bahut samman diya jata hai) I am asking which kind of samman is this. ST, SC, OBC need reservation because they are vote bank some time it comes in mind is the person is not vote bank then he/she is not human being. I am going to stop my speak.
    JAI HIND

  4. Dear sir we Sukanya mahila seva sangha a women manegment Ngo working in karnataka state gulbarga distric weorking Education,, ruraldevelopment, women empowering, skill develomet training ete, we have 12A, 80G, and FCRA certificate so we need funds for our above said projects work kindly help receivin donation thanking you
    Yours faitfully
    SR Sadkin
    Co-Ordinater
    Sukanya mahila seva sangha
    Cell: +919741182380
    Email: sumases@rediffmail.com,

  5. Dear Sir,
    This is Rajasitaram who isrunning Orphanage’s home and also
    Old age home since 2005.Our Regd.No: 43/2005.Our society name is “Deenamma and Rural Development Society(DARDS).
    At present we are having 40 members of Orphan Children and 20 members of old people. up to now we are running these organizations with the help of local donors and local doctors support.We conducted HIV awareness programs and so many voluntary programs like conducting medical camps and distributing required medicines to the poor and needy.
    And conducted Residential special training centers for the students whose parents are migrated to the other states.
    Now we are facing so many problems to run these organizations due to lack of funds.we are really struggling .please help us .we want foreign donors we are having FCRA permission. please help to our Orphan children and encourage us to extend our duties in voluntary services.Please join with us. This is Our contact no’s +91 8500613950(India), +965 67603461(kuwait)
    Thank you.

  6. Dear Sir,
    This is Rajasitaram who isrunning Orphanage’s home and also
    Old age home since 2005.Our Regd.No: 43/2005.Our society name is “Deenamma and Rural Development Society(DARDS).
    At present we are having 40 members of Orphan Children and 20 members of old people. up to now we are running these organizations with the help of local donors and local doctors.We conducted HIV awareness programs and so many voluntary programs like conducting medical camps and distributing required medicines to the poor and needy.
    And conducted Residential special training centers for the students whose parents are migrated to the other states.
    Now we are facing so many problems to run these organizations due to lack of funds.we are really struggling .please help us .we want foreign donors we are having FCRA permission. please help to our Orphan children and encourage us to extend our duties in voluntary services.Please join with us.
    Thank you.

  7. NGOs are best place for job students college degree simultaneously workng for NGO.
    best NGO to join is Kotak Education Foundation at Deonar Mumbai
    they are best i was first year college student and worked there part time for 6 hours
    they pay more then call centres
    one saturday off every month and diwali and may month off
    plus one movie outing every month and picnics or get together every 3 month
    i asked many of my friends to join and we had a blast
    guys and girls work is fun
    alongwith salary they offer good perks like PF and health card

    most of the staff are 19-25 age group even supervisor
    we had a whale of time working with Kotak Education Foundation
    good place to earn pocket money and experince certificate of social work and easy work of teaching basic english to kids who dont know even beginner level english also teach dance, song and drama…total fun to work everybody shuold join

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