The greatest virtue of an NGO or Non Government Organization is its willingness to work in the remote areas where others are reluctant to go. Many such NGOs are run by dedicated religious or voluntary organizations whose members are ascetics or without vested interests. They do not have any political affiliations or ambitions, which make them acceptable to all. Seeing their voluntary services complimenting the govt welfare measures, govt began patronizing them through grants. This took the govt charitable works to the remote rural areas. But it also drew the attention of the politicians with vested interests as an opportunity to grab govt money for their political interests. As a result, now there are any number of NGOs with political connection even in the rural areas existing only to divert the govt money to further their political interests. This has deprived funds to those NGOs working for the genuine welfare of the poor people without vested interests or political affiliation. This made the NGOs run by the minority religious groups to look for foreign funding for their genuine charitable activities.
The govt brought all foreign funding under Foreign Contribution Regulations Act or FCRA for the first time in 1976 when the Khalistan Separatist Movement was troubling the govt misusing foreign funds. FCRA of 1976 made registration under FCRA to receive FC money in an exclusive bank account designated by the govt in any bank of NGO’s choice mandatory and banned receipt of foreign funds only for two activities: anti-national terrorist activities and activities detrimental to Indian democracy. This was fully justified; it never affected the genuine NGOs as they were never involved in any such activities. Govt too did not trouble them. Even if they violated any rule of FCRA, the only punishment envisaged in the act was the cancellation of FCRA registration that disallowed them from receiving further foreign funds. Nothing would happen to the NGO’s assets after the cancellation or surrender of FCRA registration. This punishment was fair and just and was proportional to the violation of the law.
Fr Alex Mascarenhas SJ
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