The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights has summoned Amazon’s India head for failing to respond to its notices seeking information on allegations of funding an organisation involved in the illegal conversion of children into Christianity. Amit Agarwal, Global Senior Vice President and Country Head of Amazon India has been asked to appear before the NCPCR on 1st November to explain the reasons for not responding to the statutory body’s notices, and also provide the answers to questions asked to them.
National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) summons Global Senior Vice President and Country Head, Amazon India over alleged funding by Amazon India to All India Mission, an org involved in "unlawful practices". The Commission asks him to appear before it on Nov 1.
— ANI (@ANI) October 19, 2022
Amazon India is under the scrutiny of NCPCR after it was found to be giving donations to an NGO named All India Mission, which is accused of indulging in unlawful practices. The child rights body had issued notices to Amazon in September after receiving a complaint from the NGO Social Justice Forum of Arunachal Pradesh, alleging that All India Mission is involved in unlawful practices by illegally converting children to Christianity in India.
“It has been mentioned in the complaint that the said organisation has more than 100 orphanages across India. As per the complaint, the website and social media pages of the said organisation clearly state that they aim to convert the people in India and also claim that they have already converted many people in India already especially in North East India and Jharkhand,” the NCPCR notice to Amazon India had said.
Social Justice Forum had showed that All India Mission was receiving funding from Amazon India, and had urged the authorities to probe probable money laundering racket also. It is notable Amazon India website states that its customers can donate to the evangelist group by shopping on its AmazonSmile platform.
#BIGBREAKING we r urging @DelhiPolice @HMOIndia @MIB_India @assampolice to look into a possible money laundering ring between E-commerce giant @amazonIN & American Baptist Mission front All India Mission. AIM claims 2 hv converted 25k people in Northeast India#BoycottAmazon pic.twitter.com/j11MdOAHTe
— Social Justice Forum Of Arunachal Pradesh (@JuticeForumAP) September 7, 2022
The Arunachal-based NGO had said that AIM is registered as a Charity Organization in the US & UK, and it conducts its ground activities through two other fronts, Health for India US and Shanti Bhawan Medical Centre. AIM has another front to its disposal called Calvary Gospel Ministries Trust that establishes churches across India under the secular name of Prarthana Bhawans to lure the gullible population into conversion, Social Justice Forum had said.
They had also noted that AIM founder NJ Varughese and its head of operations, Hope Howe have been running a relentless campaign to defame India and Narendra Modi in the world by circulating and manufacturing fake news.
Following this complaint, NCPCR had issued a notice to Amazon on 14th September asking it to provide all details of donations made to All India Mission within seven days.
After not receiving any response to the notice, NCPCR had sent a reminder notice on 30th September, but that was also ignored by Amazon officials. Therefore, NCPCR has now summoned the country head of Amazon India exercising its under Section 14 of the CPCR Act, 2005.
Asking Amit Agarwal to appear before it at 3.30 on November 1, NCPCR further states that if the Amazon official fails to comply with the order, he will be subjected to consequence of non-attendance as provided in Rule 10 and Rule 12 of Order XVI of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908. Under this Rules, a court can issue arrest warrant and impose fines for ignoring such summons.
