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PEOPLE'S UNION FOR CIVIL LIBERTIES (Tamil Nadu & Pondicherry) 'Husain House', II Floor, 7/1 Kondi Chetty St., Chennai 600 001 Ph: 25245412, 25392459 e-mail : rights@v... National Council Member: Sudha Ramalingam President : R. Niraimathi General Secretary: Dr. V. Suresh 23.03.2004 To The Chief Reporter FOR FAVOUR OF PUBLICATION Sir, Please find enclosed a Statement for favour of Publication. Since the subject matter of the statement pertains to an important social issue relevant to the present political situation in the country we request you to give widespread coverage to the statement. With regards, V. Suresh Dr. V. Suresh General Secretary, PUCL-TN/Pondy Probe Use of Funds Raised Abroad by Hindutva Groups Statement Issued by Mr. K.G. Kannabiran, National President, People's Union for Civil Liberties & Dr V. Suresh, Gen. Secy-PUCL-TN/Pondy A report, titled In Bad Faith? : British Charity and Hindu Extremism, was released in the House of Lords on February 26th (see www.awaazsaw.org). It details how UK-based groups - particularly the Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh UK (the RSS' UK branch), and its fundraising arm Sewa International - have been raising funds in the name of humanitarian aid in India. In particular, Sewa International raised over 2 million pounds (about Rs. 14 crore at current rates) for disaster relief work after the Gujarat earthquake. Virtually all the money raised by these organisations is sent to Sangh Parivar outfits in India, particularly Sewa Bharati. The report demonstrates that the uses of this money include relief work that glorified the RSS and extended its shakha network, construction of the controversial ekal vidyalayas and Vidya Bharati-run schools, and funding of other Parivar groups, particularly the Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram. In its investigation into the 2002 anti-Muslim genocide in Gujarat, the Concerned Citizens' Tribunal had stated that "The source of [Sangh Parivar] funds, used increasingly for blatantly unlawful and unconstitutional activities, needs to be investigated." This report provides a partial answer to that question. It requires to be highlighted that both Sewa Bharati and the Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram have been directly involved in anti-minority violence (such as Sewa Bharati's recent involvement in the Jhabua clashes). The Peoples Union for Civil Liberties reads this Report with concern and is apprehensive of the effect such large scale funding of an avowedly communal outfit will have on the polity and its pluralistic character. RSS can no longer be taken as some sort of an innocuous cultural organization separate from and uninvolved with the BJP, universally considered to be its political face. The fig leaf of being separate entities has been torn off in the context of the 2004 elections. The 10th March, 2004 edition of the Hindu carries a r eport highlighting the plans of the RSS for a larger and more direct role in the coming 2004 elections. The report points out to the fact that the RSS this time is insisting on stressing the Hindutva view in all issues dealt with by the Vision Document of the BJP. Clear instructions have been issued by the RSS bosses from their Nagpur and Delhi offices to ensure that their workers not only work during elections for the success of BJP in the polls to the Lok Sabha but also to see that that the elected representatives toe the line of the RSS. It is a complete takeover by the RSS of the entire election campaign of the BJP. It is in this context that the report of Awaaz raises issues of concern. It is clear that the funds collected in Britain would not, in actuality, have been used for the purposes for which they were said to be collected. It is clear that much of the funds will indeed have been used for ensuring the growth of organizations affiliated to RSS and their cohort organizations in expanding their area of Hindutva influence and supporting groups involved in violence. Though currently there does not exist direct evidence, there is every possibility that the funds raised may be used for the current election purposes and such an eventuality cannot be ruled out. These will not be accounted for in the returns filed on election expenses. People experienced in monitoring the way election expenses are accounted know that such diversion is possible without being shown in official election expenses. This is especially so given the complexity of electoral dynamics and difficulty in strict monitoring. No political party ever reflects the true amounts spent on elections. The fact also remains that such funding may well be used for funding the current rath yatra of Advani without anyone being wiser. But the true danger of this funding is not just that it may have been used to directly support violence. All of the groups discussed in the report swear by Hindutva and pledge themselves to propagating their view of India as a 'Hindu nation' where minorities are second-class citizens. They engage in this by staging massive publicity spectacles like yatras, spreading misinformation and falsehoods through the media and, most importantly, running schools that teach distorted, anti-minority propaganda in the name of education. For decades these groups have worked to spread their influence and to ensure that the rights of Muslims and Christians are increasingly marginalized. It is worth recalling that, in 1993, the NCERT's National Steering Committee on Textbook Evaluation described Vidya Bharati's textbooks as being "designed to promote bigotry and religious fanaticism in the name of inculcating knowledge of culture in the young generation". These activities, now we know, are part of its political campaigning This report is only the tip of the iceberg, and the money spent on captive youth is prepare them for the support of a theocratic state. AWAAZ in its Report has gone into the details of this fund raising extensively. And these funds are channeled through Seva Bharati and similar organizations registered under FCRA. Such funding raises concerns that foreign contributions to FCRA registered organisations (such as Sewa Bharati) are being used to support the aims and activities of unregistered political organisations, including the RSS and the VHP. The report points out that funds raised for the Orissa super cyclone were given to a group whose office address is the same as that of the Orissa RSS branch. Further, in the light of recent announcements that the Sangh Parivar will be explicitly supporting the BJP election campaign, such funding also may be distorting the democratic process. As such, the findings of this report require urgent investigation as evidence of potential FCRA violations. Under section 10 of FCRA the central government has wide powers to prohibit acceptance of foreign contributions from any association or person even though unconnected with the election as specified by section 4. This section covers persons and associations like RSS, VHP and Bajrang Dal, not covered by section 4, at all times including the election period. The Central Government shall have the power to prevent receipt of foreign funds if it is likely to impair "freedom or fairness of elections to any legislature; or harmony between religious, racial, linguistic, or regional groups, castes or communities." Section 5 prohibits any political organization from receiving funds foreign sources. Organisations of a political nature again have to be notified by the Central Government. Over the years the Ruling Party at the Center and the Central Government have become interchangeable and with this Ruling Party it is all the more so. It becomes necessary for the Election Commission to consider the question whether the money spent by RSS etc on the BJP's election campaign is permissible and if not, consider suitable action to interdict receipt of funds by these organizations from a foreign source. It now remains to be seen if our political class will take up this matter with the seriousness it deserves. Crores of rupees have been flowing to groups who are accused of engineering genocide and other forms of gross human rights violations. We call upon national leaders to urgently initiate investigations into this matter under the FCRA and all applicable laws, and we call upon democratic groups here and abroad to widely campaign against fundraising by such groups. 23.3.2004 V. Suresh K.G. Kannabiran Dr. V. Suresh K.G. Kannabiran General Secretary President PUCL-Tamil Nadu & Pondicherry PUCL - National Unit |
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| << March28, 2004 - [India Thinkers Net] ONGC...The mother of all scams |
March28, 2004 - [India Thinkers Net]My Religion is not my Nation >> |
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