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<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=greenpeace" target="_BLANK￿￿￿￿">Greenpeace India</a> is in angry mode and has accused Tamil Nadu government of suppressing <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=free+speech" target="_BLANK￿￿￿￿">free speech</a>. 
 
The NGO has claimed that Registrar of Societies in Tamil Nadu has cancelled its registration as a society, saying “government's clumsy tactics to suppress free speech was turning into a national and international embarrassment.” 
 "<keyword id="6356502" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Greenpeace-India">Greenpeace India</keyword> Society has just received notice from the Tamil Nadu Registrar of Societies, summarily announcing cancellation of its registration as a society," the NGO said in a statement. 
 
Greenpeace India said this move was an extension of the "deep intolerance" for differing viewpoints which the government was "harbouring" and asserted that it would again seek legal "redress". 
 
So much so, the NGO went on hit out at the government saying the notice was the latest assault on free speech in India. 
 
"The RoS is clearly acting under directions of the Home Ministry in Delhi, which has been trying to shut Greenpeace India down for over a year now. 
 
"The MHA's clumsy tactics to suppress free speech and dissenting voices are turning into a major national and international embarrassment for this government," said Vinuta Gopal, Interim Executive Director of Greenpeace India. 
 
It said for the last 18 months, Greenpeace India has endured repeated attempts at suppression through different government authorities. 
 
"This is an extension of the deep intolerance for differing viewpoints that sections of this government seem to harbour," Gopal said. 
 
It is worth mentioning that the Union home ministry had recently told Delhi high court that it cancelled the foreign contribution registration of the NGO as it was continuing to use its <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=FCRA" target="_BLANK￿￿￿￿">Foreign Contribution Registration Act</a> (FCRA) accounts despite the suspension of the same. 
 
(Image: Indiatimes)

Greenpeace India is very angry with Tamil Nadu govt, also spews venom at MHA. Here’s why

The centre is keeping no stones unturned to shut down the operations of NGO, Greenpeace that has been actively protesting against issues such as climate change, deforestation, overfishing, commercial whaling, genetic engineering. Having frozen bank accounts of Greenpeace and issuing a show-cause notice on April 9 this year, the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=mha">Ministry of Home Affairs(MHA)</a> has now cancelled the FCRA licence of the global <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=NGO">NGO</a>. 
 
"The Greenpeace legal team has learnt that the Ministry of Home Affairs has notified the Delhi high court that Greenpeace's FCRA registration has been cancelled. This news comes just a day before a scheduled hearing at the Delhi high court that was examining the merits of MHA's arbitrary action," the NGO's press statement said. 
 
Interim co-executive director of Greenpeace India, Vinuta Gopal, in the statement said that Greenpeace will continue its campaigning undeterred, and "is in fact launching a new creative campaign" to highlight the nationwide crackdown on civil liberties. 
"The cancelling of our FCRA registration is the government's latest move in a relentless onslaught against the community's right to dissent. It is yet another attempt to silence campaigns for a more sustainable future and transparency in public processes. Cutting access to our foreign <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=funding">funding</a> may be a desperate attempt to get us to cease our work, but the MHA probably didn't count on our having an amazing network of volunteers and supporters who have helped us continue our work despite the government crackdown. Since the majority of our funding comes from Indian citizens, most of our work can indeed continue. 
 
We are responding to this latest melodrama by launching a new creative online campaign and are confident that people will show they are ready to fight back in style, and send a clear message to those in power: you just can't muzzle dissent in a democracy," she added.

​Centre restricts Greenpeace from taking foreign funds, cancel FCRA license

After suspending the <keyword id="307144" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="FCRA">FCRA</keyword> registration of <keyword id="69355" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Greenpeace">Greenpeace</keyword> India and putting foreign donor <keyword id="57946" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Ford-Foundation">Ford Foundation</keyword> on the watchlist, the government has now cancelled the licences of 8,975 NGOs for failing to file annual returns for the years 2009-10, 2010-11 and 2011-12. 
 
In a cancellation order issued on Sunday, the Union home ministry recalled that it had issued notices to 10,343 NGOs on October 16, 2014, stating that they should file their annual returns within a month, specifying amount of foreign funds received, sources of such funds, the purpose for which these were received and the manner in which such foreign contribution was utilized. However, only 229 NGOs reverted to the home ministry. Their replies are being examined on case to case basis. 
 
"No reply has been received from the remaining associations numbering 8975," said the home ministry order communicated to the NGOs, district magistrates of the concerned districts where the NGOs are based and RBI. 
 
"..in exercise of the power conferred by Section 14 of the FCRA 2010, the Central government hereby cancels, for violation of Section 18 thereof, read with Rule 17(2) of Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Rule, 2011, the certificate of registration of 8975 associations...which includes 510 associations to whom notices were sent but returned undelivered and 632 associations from whom no reply has been received to the notices within the stipulated period," said the order.

Is this the complete truth? The govt cancelling licences of 8975
NGOs for not filing tax returns?

After the central government’s decision to freeze foreign NGO Greenpeace’s accounts, the final nail on the coffin is being put by Tamil Nadu Inspector of Registration’s office. The NGO that has been vocal about environmental issues has been under the govt’s scrutiny for quite sometime. 
 
And now the office of registration in Tamil Nadu has issued a show-cause notice for cancellation of its registration as a society under the Tamil Nadu Societies Registration Act, 1975, according to a news report by The Economic Times. The notice, which cites multiple violations of the law governing societies, was served on the Chennai-based NGO on June 16 following an inspection of its office and accounts on June 3. 
 
According to home ministry sources, the show-cause notice issued under Section 37 of the TN Societies Registration Act cites four major violations. The Inspector of Registration has found major anomalies and irregularities in the NGO’s office and books of accounts. It was noticed that it had failed to either file the required documents/returns on time or file these altogether. 
 
Second, the terms of memorandum filed at the time of registration were violated when the NGO shifted its head office to Bengaluru from Chennai while remaining registered under the TN Act. "Greenpeace is working illegally from Bengaluru," an officer said. Third, even the Chennai office has been working from an address other than the one applied for at the time of registration. 
 
The cancellation of registration denotes winding up of its offices in India, where it claims to be employing around <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-greenpeace-india-admits-failures-after-staff-claims-of-rape-sexual-harassment-2015-6?IR=T">350 people</a> - as its members have been taking instructions from their foreign bosses in day-to-day administrative matters, including senior appointments. "<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-greenpeace-staff-to-work-for-free-after-india-blocks-funds-2015-5?IR=T">As per the memorandum, all such issues are to be internally decided by the members</a>," an official told TOI. 
 
According to home ministry sources, though the June 16 show-cause notice had given Greenpeace India eight days to respond, it is yet to file a reply. "The NGO has sought a deadline extension, claiming it needs more time to draft the response," a senior officer said. 
 
As per Section 39 of the TN Societies Registration Act, a society, upon cancellation of its registration, will cease to carry on business except so far as may be required for its "beneficial winding up". 
 
In January, Greenpeace India activist Priya Pillai was offloaded from a London-bound flight on the basis of a lookout circular issued against her. The lookout order was later struck down by the Delhi High Court, reports the financial daily. 
 
In April, Greenpeace India's FCRA registration was suspended and a cancellation notice issued to the NGO. Greenpeace has gone to court against the home ministry move. 
 
Greenpeace India has played a major role in opposing genetically modified food in the country. 
 
(Image: The Drum)

Greenpeace’s days in India are almost over!

Cracking down on <keyword id="57946" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Ford-Foundation">Ford Foundation</keyword>, one of the most powerful international funding organisation, <keyword id="69522" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="ministry-of-home-affairs">Ministry of Home Affairs</keyword> has ordered that it be put under a watch list in "national interest and security " of the country said an Economic Times report. 
 ET had reported on Friday that <keyword id="69355" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Greenpeace">Greenpeace</keyword> type of action would be taken against Ford Foundation. 
Putting Ford Foundation on prior permission list, MHA has ordered that all the funds coming from Ford Foundation, US, for any agency or NGOs in country will first need to be cleared by the ministry. The action has been taken under section 46 of the FCRA. 
 
MHA has asked the RBI to instruct all banks and their branches to ensure that any fund flow from Ford Foundation will first be cleared by the ministry. 
 About $5 million in grants by the Ford Foundation, arguably the biggest such international funding agency, have been blocked by the Indian government in the past few months, top officials told ET last week on condition of anonymity. The ostensible reason is that the recipient non-governmental organisations (NGOs) haven't filed annual reports and balance sheets with the home ministry. This also includes about $100,000 in grants to the <keyword id="6356045" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Tata-Institute-of-Social-Sciences">Tata Institute of Social Sciences</keyword> (TISS), the ET report said. 
 The <keyword id="6387077" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi-government">Narendra Modi government</keyword> has suspended the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, or FCRA, licence that allows Greenpeace India to get funds from overseas. 
 The suspension of Greenpeace's FCRA licence came after the government prevented a member of the organisation from travelling to the UK to speak to lawmakers there about the rights of indigenous communities. NGOs have been on their <keyword id="6386905" type="POSITION" weightage="80" keywordseo="guard">guard</keyword> after a leaked 2014 <keyword id="6364687" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Intelligence-Bureau">Intelligence Bureau</keyword> report said such organisations were creating hurdles to development, ET said. 
 To be sure, the foundation has been on the radar of <keyword id="148649" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Indian-intelligence">Indian intelligence</keyword> agencies for decades, on account of which the <keyword id="47209" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Finance-Ministry">finance ministry</keyword> was mandated to clear each grant that it made to NGOs. This scrutiny intensified after it became known that the Anna Hazare-led anti-corruption movement of 2011 got a boost from the foundation with Arvind Kejriwal's NGO Kabir getting about $400,000.

Could the Ford Foundation be a threat to India's national security?

The <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Central+Bureau+of+Investigation+%28CBI%29+">Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)</a> is likely to probe the case of alleged violation of various sections of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) by the Indian arm of global NGO <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Greenpeace">Greenpeace</a>. The <keyword id="6359327" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Home-Ministry">Home Ministry</keyword> has approached CBI to set an inquiry against the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=NGO">NGO</a>. 
 
There may be divergent views within the ministry on the nature of probe to be ordered as even financial investigative agencies can carry out such probes. 
 However, it is reportedly said that the CBI probe is being justified on the ground that there is a need to investigate the proceeds of bank accounts used by <keyword id="6356502" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Greenpeace-India">Greenpeace India</keyword>. There is also a need to probe about the circulation of money across various accounts and then allegedly parking them in fixed deposits. 
 
The <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Home+Ministry+">Home Ministry</a> on September 2 had cancelled Greenpeace's FCRA registration citing alleged violations. "We have taken steps against Greenpeace India for FCRA violations, but during inspections we also came across other loopholes, which can be probed further only by a competent investigative agency. Also, there is an alternate opinion that the NGO could be given another chance and asked to rectify them," said an official familiar with the matter. 
 
Moreover, in its licence cancellation order, the ministry recorded that a Greenpeace representative was called personally "to explain the details of entries and transaction pertaining to source of FDRs (fixed deposit receipts) on August 19. However, instead of clarifying, the representative preferred to reply that they have already answered the queries at different forum". 
 
On Wednesday, the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Madras+High+Court+">Madras High Court</a> granted an interim stay for eight weeks on the cancellation of the NGO's registration under FCRA. "We are confident that we have a strong legal case to demonstrate that the MHA is acting without any justification," said Vinuta Gopal, co-executive director of Greenpeace India. 
 
The home ministry said it will study the order and appeal against the same. 
 
If a CBI inquiry is instituted against Greenpeace, it will be the second such case of alleged FCRA violation entrusted to the probe agency. 
 Earlier, the Home Ministry had ordered an inquiry into the affairs of Gujarat-based activist <keyword id="124413" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Teesta-Setalvad">Teesta Setalvad</keyword>'s NGO Sabrang Communications. CBI later registered an FIR against Setalvad and her husband and carried out raids. 
 
 Greenpeace India has been charged with transfer of funds from its designated FCRA accounts to other accounts and underreporting of receipts of overseas funding. 
 
(Image: Indiatimes)

Greenpeace is getting into further trouble! An investigation by the CBI can’t be easy

Acting on an Intelligence Bureau (<keyword id="6355286" type="COMPANY" weightage="80" keywordseo="IB">IB</keyword>) report that accused non-government organisations (NGOs) of derailing India’s economic growth, the Home Ministry has sent a questionnaire to <keyword id="69355" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Greenpeace">Greenpeace</keyword>, an environment-focused NGO, asking it to explain its foreign funding. The ministry also asked the organisation to provide details about the causes on which it spends the funds. 
 
According to media reports, the licences of all the NGOs named in the IB report will be reviewed under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA), 2010. 
Greenpeace had denied charges levelled in the IB report that labelled the NGO as ‘a threat to national economic security.’ 
 
The ministry has asked the NGO to furnish details regarding the sources of its funds, the beneficiaries and on what activities the funds are spent. 
 
Greenpeace was funded by individual donors in the country and does not accept any donation from corporate or government entities. 
 
“In FY2013-14, Greenpeace India raised around Rs 20 crore from more than three lakh individual supporters in India. More than 60% of our funds come from Indian supporters. Foreign grants form 37% of our funds,” Greenpeace said in a statement.

Government Asks Greenpeace To Provide Details On
Foreign Funding

The government’s recent move to cancel the registration of nearly 9,000 non-governmental organisations (<keyword id="6397455" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="NGOs">NGOs</keyword>) for failing to provide details of foreign funding for three years starting from financial year 2009-10 clearly shows that it has intensified its ongoing major crackdown on non-profit organisation operating in the country. The move came soon after the government suspended the licence of Greenpeace India and put US-based Ford Foundation on a security watch list, necessitating government approval to carry out their activities in the country. 
 
A few months ago, the home ministry said lobby groups such as Greenpeace were damaging the country's economy by campaigning against genetically modified food, mining and power projects. 
 
The Ford Foundation was put on a watch list following accusation that it was providing funding to a local group run by an activist who is a Modi critic. This has given some fodder to Modi’s critics to argue that the government's move to restrict the movement of foreign funding to local charities is an attempt to scuttle the voices of those, who oppose the government’s economic agenda. 
 
The sudden spurt in the number of circulars issued by the ministry of home affairs (MHA) against organisations registered under The Foreign Contributions Regulation Act, 2010 (FCRA) in the recent past has proved that the ministry has intensified its scrutiny of NGOs. 
 
In December, an RBI circular listed NGOs such as Danish International Development Agency, US-based Mercy Corps, US, Netherlands-based Hivos International and US-based Climate Work Foundation and Greenpeace in a list of those whose funds should be monitored by banks. Any NGO receiving funds from them will now need prior permission of the MHA before they bring in the funds. Also, from April 1, all organisations registered under the FCRA have to reapply for licence within a year. 
 
The previous Manmohan Singh government too issued notices to NGOs that hadn’t filed their returns during 2006-2009. But critics say the crackdown has become more pronounced under the Modi government because it wants to stifle voices against its economic and growth agenda. 
 
The government’s supporters say this increased scrutiny is to safeguard national security. The significant spurt in cross-border terrorist activities over the last couple of decades, which reared its ugly head following a series of terror strikes including 9/11 attacks in the US and 26/11 carnage in Mumbai, has forced the government to track every penny that is flown to the country by NGOs and think-tanks to ensure that the money is not used to fund terrorist or secessionist activities. 
 
The government suspect that most of these organisations misuse funds by indulging in money laundering and campaigning against development work. 
The strain in the relationship between bureaucracy and the civil society in the country that is increasingly being based on mutual suspicion and hostility is also cited as a reason for the crackdown on NGOs, which activist groups accuse as an attempt to silence free speech, opposing views and dissent. 
 
Both Indian and foreign donors are shying away from engaging with NGOs which work in governance, environment and human rights as the government is seen increasingly hostile to and suspicious about activities in the space supported by donor money. 
 
The government’s ‘blacklisted’ of foreign donors amply indicates that those working on environment issues and climate change, and those organisations which have an alternative vision and definition of growth elicit government ire more than others. 
 
The fall in fund flow to the NGOs in the country in the recent past is also seen as a fallout of the deterioration in mobilising funds for charity and development aid because of the global economic recession as well as the projection of India as an ‘emerging economic power’. 
 
Following the intensified government scrutiny, donor entities are likely to go slow on their funding plans till the political opposition to the government’s approach against charities becomes more visible and vocal in the public domain. 
 
This may also lead to a situation where funding for NGO activities will become more decentralised—smaller donations from a large section of the civil society supporting social entities that genuinely pursue larger common good instead of a few big funders controlling fund flow. 
While the government cannot be criticised for putting national security on the top of its agenda, whether voices of dissent should be stifled in a mammoth democracy like ours needs to be debated. 
 
Image: www.grist.org

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Greenpeace India is very angry with Tamil Nadu govt, also spews venom at MHA. Here’s why

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​Centre restricts Greenpeace from taking foreign funds, cancel FCRA license

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Is this the complete truth? The govt cancelling licences of 8975 NGOs for not filing tax returns?

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Centre restricts Greenpeace from taking foreign funds, cancel FCRA license