Foreign Contribution Bill
I have not gone through the FCRA bill but I have read the article, Beware of the ‘foreign’ hand by M.R.Madhavan in the Indian Express(21/12/06). The article highlights the bureaucratic way of dealing with the problems.The bill appears to be elaborate and also vague which can always be misused.The bill seems to be a case of over-reaction to the abuse by some NGOs.
However, there is no doubt that foreign contribution has created a lobby in India, and credibility of some of the NGOs who have received foreign money has not been above board. A report in the Indian Express (10/11/06) under the headline, “NGO clean up: 8000 under watch” is quite revealing.It states that 32,000 NGOs have received Rs.6000/- crore in the current fiscal year and 8,673 NGOs have not filed the required returns and at least two of them have misused the funds (conversion activities).
I recently read a review of a book,” NGOs,Activists and Foreign Funds : Anti-National Industry” by the well-known journalist M.V.Kamath in the Free Press Journal (Oct.1,2006) .The review makes a very distrubing reading. He says that some of the NGOs are being supported by nation-states, globalists and groups (both secular and religious) that have transnational ambitions.In simple words, they seek to influence and manipulate Indians to their way of thinking. Another report in the Times of India (23/107) under the headline, “Conversion of 50 minors spark row in Sasaram”, states that an NGO called GEMS apparently runs schools and entices small children.
Some NGOs seem to be arrogant and arbitrary. Some school children who used to get Rs.3000/- year were suddenly told it would be just Rs.1,500/- in my area. Children who are supposed to get school books and stationery in June, get it in September/October when the students have purchased the books. The attitude is not that of sympathy and support but that of patronage.
We all know about the conferences and seminars in exotic places and in five star hotels. It gives the impression that NGOs have become commercial enterprises rather than a mission just like journalism. There are cases where schools and hospitals avail government land at concessional rates assuring certain number of seats to the poor free or at subsidised fee and later, have not fulfilled the condition of sale or lease.
All these instances make one believe that it is better to have more schools and hospitals run on commercial basis. Let there be more schools and hospitals run on commercial basis with a profit motive but without profiteering. And let there be strict enforcement of the law about the teachers, curriculum, library, laboratory, hygiene in the case of schools and good doctors, proper treatment of patients, cleanliness etc in the case of hospitals. In Mumbai, many lowly-paid maids/peons send their children to private schools for better education and to private doctors/dispensaries for better medical facilities rather than to municipal schools and hospitals.
I strongly believe NGOs require more self-less volunteers than money. India does not need foreign aid in this sphere as well. No nation can be built on foreign aid or money. What we require is better management and the right mind-set to serve the people.We all know what Rajiv Gandhi said about government spending on social sectors – only 15 paise out of a rupee reaches the intended recipient. We have enough money but not enough management and the right attitude to properly organise projects which empower the poor.
A recent report in the Times of India (Jan.15,2007) throws light on this. The report states that the state government has spent only 37 perecnt of the budget allotted to development activities during the current fiscal year till November-December,2006 – that is in 9 months. The state has spent only Rs.6,251 crore out of the development budget of Rs.18,729 crore. These funds are meant for public health,tribal development, social justice,environment, animal husbandry,dairy development, fisheries etc.which are crucial for the empowerment of the poor. There is no lack of funds in India, but there is a lack of will to serve the people.This is a reflection both on the government of the day and the opposition. These are the areas where the NGOs can work, forget foreign money. All that the NGOs have to do it is find out the allocation under each head to each district/taluka/village – if necessary with RTI – and become the crucial link between the government and the poor. Are they up to it ?
Let us husband our own resources. The NGOs who have welfare of the poor in their heart have to work with the poor and for the poor. All that the poor require is guidance and assistance to access their due. They are poor not because they do not work, but because we do not pay them their due. They are poor because the state has failed to empower them with education and health-care. The state has better things to – to run hotels and airlines !
Coming to the question that has been asked, every activity requires certain norms. The state has every right to know how the money is raised and how it is spent. There has to be accountability. Those NGOs who do not do the work they are supposed to do, have to be punished. We cannot allow foreign entities to manipulate our people.The clandestine activities should be banned and punished. The clauses and wording of the bill is to be left to the competent lawyers so that the law punishes the guilty and encourages the NGOs without any hidden agenda.
With good wishes,
M.D.Kini
Email – kinis68@gmail.com