In a bid to fight the menace of NGOs and think-tanks that involve in anti-India activities, the Narendra Modi government has asked the security agencies in both centre and the state to brief the courts regarding the involvement of NGOs in anti-India activities.
According to the New Indian Express report, the Union government passed the directive on Wednesday that after it discovered that many NGOs are resorting to campaigns against the country’s interest, leading to serious security problems.
The Central government has also directed security agencies to keep an eye on the activities of such NGOs and think-tanks. The government has also asked them to prepare a detailed report and submit it to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
Similarly, the state police forces and central investigative agencies like NIA and CBI have also been asked to take initiative in sensitising the judiciary on activities of NGOs from the national security perspective.
Reportedly, the directive was essential as some NGOs has been carrying out campaigns and mass mobilisation against the government “in the guise of humanitarian work”. A senior government official said that judiciary needs to be apprised of the hidden agenda of such NGOs that indulge in subversion and public mobilisation with a hidden agenda to destabilise the security of the country.
According to reports, the Centre has asked agencies to pay special attention to the expanding tentacles of Naxal activities across India. The Centre has directed the chiefs of state police forces and the Central investigating agencies to identify the roots of left-wing extremist ideas and think-tanks involved in motivational activities, legal help, financing and other activities related to left-wing extremism.
According to MHA documents, in the last five years, the government has cancelled the registration of more than 14,800 NGOs after they committed violations of the provisions of Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010. The NGOs had received Rs 17,803.21 crore as the foreign contribution in 2015-16. In 2016-17, the NGO’s received Rs 15,343.15 crore and in 2017-18 it was Rs 16,894.37 crore.
MHA had stated in Lok Sabha that there are certain established institutional and procedural mechanisms and safeguards are in place to check anti-national activities by individuals, associations and organizations.
“The government, in coordination with security agencies of the Centre and states, maintains vigil in order to detect individuals, associations and organisations indulging in anti-national activities. Inputs in this regard are shared with state governments and Union territories’ administrations from time to time and appropriate action is taken as per law,” the MHA had stated in Lok Sabha last year.
In its report in 2014, the Intelligence Bureau had also stated that there are concerted efforts by foreign-funded NGOs to take down various developmental projects across the country.
In a report marked to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), the IB had stated that a significant number of Indian NGOs funded by donors based in the US, UK, Germany, Netherlands and Scandinavian countries, have been noticed to be using people-centric issues to create an environment which lends itself to stalling development projects.
