Harsh Mander, who was earlier appointed by Sonia Gandhi as a member of the “extra-constitutional” National Advisory Committee, has written an article recently, which glorifies and supports evangelical conversions by Christian missionaries.
Senior journalist and contributing editor at NewsLaundry.com, Mr Anand Ranganathan has, in a series of tweets revealed what could be Mr Mander’s motives behind such a post, and how it could be a clear case of “conflict of interest”. The tweets are reproduced as below:
A characteristically opinionated, devoid of facts, openly evangelical & pro-conversion piece by Harsh Mander. Sad. http://t.co/xejF9mSxJQ
— Anand Ranganathan (@ARangarajan1972) January 14, 2015
Mr Mander bats openly for evangelical conversion, even ridicules laws that prevent forced conversions. Why?http://t.co/xejF9mSxJQ
— Anand Ranganathan (@ARangarajan1972) January 14, 2015
Harsh Mander runs Centre for Equity Studies, funded by DanChurch Aid who say “We are rooted in Danish National Evangelical Lutheran Church”.
— Anand Ranganathan (@ARangarajan1972) January 14, 2015
Looking at the principal funder of Mr Mander, I’m afraid his piece is ridden with straight conflict of interest. https://t.co/JUVJCyizkO
— Anand Ranganathan (@ARangarajan1972) January 14, 2015
Mr Mander’s other funder, Partnership Foundation, runs homes in India. “Missionary Sisters Servants of Holy Spirit” http://t.co/P9vmYmNGtq
— Anand Ranganathan (@ARangarajan1972) January 14, 2015
Mr Mander’s third funder, IDRC, has a direct, and at times controversial, relation with Canadian foreign policy. http://t.co/FQYXg6FiD2
— Anand Ranganathan (@ARangarajan1972) January 14, 2015
According to its Annual Report IDRC, that funds Mr Mander, is a “Key part of Canada’s Foreign Policy’s efforts”. http://t.co/DlYgOLrlSU
— Anand Ranganathan (@ARangarajan1972) January 14, 2015
Mr Mander’s fourth funder, Save the Children, was provided “unrestricted funding…” by Church Communities Foundation http://t.co/OR0WY23PLo
— Anand Ranganathan (@ARangarajan1972) January 14, 2015
Paraphrasing Mander: Threat of divine retribution, promise of rewards in after-life, free services in school, are NOT coercion or inducement
— Anand Ranganathan (@ARangarajan1972) January 14, 2015
Mr Mander is free to write on any other topic but with those funders, writing on church requires him, I think, to at least give a disclosure
— Anand Ranganathan (@ARangarajan1972) January 14, 2015