In India, around 6,000 associations, including the international NGO Oxfam, have just lost the right to receive funds from abroad. Their license, granted by the government, has either expired or been rejected. This already happened a few days ago to the Mother Teresa association, and many fear that it is a mechanism to limit work critical of the government or in favor of the rights of religious minorities.
With our correspondent in India, Sébastien Farcis
According to the Interior Ministry, the vast majority of associations like Oxfam have lost their license because they have not requested their renewal for 2022.
Only 170 of these requests were reportedly rejected for certain violations. However, Oxfam assures that its request was made and rejected.
The Government of India’s decision to refuse renewal of Oxfam India’s Foreign Contribution Regulation Act #FCRA registration will severely affect the ongoing humanitarian & social work in 16 states across the country. ? (1/7)https://t.co/Rt0hmwLcIc
– Oxfam India (@OxfamIndia) January 2, 2022
The withdrawal of this license will in any case lead to the end of foreign funding for these some 6,000 associations, which will have a significant impact on their work.
Oxfam, for example, deployed colossal means to offer oxygen or respirators during the wave of Covid-19 contamination last May, while the government was taken aback.
Other NGOs critical of the government are also in this list, such as the Indian Medical Association, the Muslim University Jamia Islamiya or several Christian NGOs.
#oxfam India claims that it’s FCRA license, that allows the ngo to receive funds from abroad, has been rejected. Indian govt says the ngo didn’t apply. https://t.co/qOzlS8uaqW
– Sébastien Farcis (@sebfarcis) January 2, 2022
Cutting foreign funding is a weapon regularly used by the Indian government to suffocate these independent associations.
It was used against Greenpeace, among others, which criticized the massive use of coal in the Indian energy mix. The ecological NGO has now almost disappeared in India.
►Reread: India withdraws Greenpeace work permit in the country (2015)