Wednesday, September 18, 2019

FCRA - Biggest Birthday Gift To PM Modi From His Friend-Home Minister Amit Shah


WE are happy to note that PM Narendra Modi's birthday coincides with Bhagwan Vishvakarma, who is considered to be the divine architect of universe before the advent of time.

He was showered with many gifts on this occasion, but the most important gift was given by Home Minister and his close aide Amit Shah.

What is that gift? And, there has been no debate on it in any media. Think over it.

Two days ago, a notification was issued by the home ministry. It has made big changes in FCRA to tame foreign-funded NGOs involved in anti-India activities and forced conversion.

So, what are the changes made in Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Rules Act 2011?

According to the changed rules, before receiving any foreign funds, all employees of such NGOs will now have to give a declaration to the government affirming that they have not been prosecuted or convicted for religious conversions and have not indulged in creating "communal tension and disharmony".

According to the earlier rule, only directors or top official seeking FCRA clearance were required to make the declaration. But, forced conversion activities were carried out by office-bearers below the rank of directors or top officials.

Now, every member of the NGO must also, under oath through an affidavit, certify that they have never been involved in "diverting" foreign funds or propagating "sedition" or "advocating violent means".

Earlier, this too was required only of the director or the official applying for FCRA clearance.

Under the amended rules, in case of any medical emergency during a visit abroad, the government has to be informed about foreign hospitality to the NGO member within a month. The intimation by the member should contain full details including the source.

It should also state the approximate value in Indian Rupees and the purpose for which and the manner in which it was utilised. Earlier, the deadline for the intimation was two months.

The threshold for the value of gifts that need to be reported to the government was increased from Rs 25,000 (as per the market value of the gift in India) to Rs one lakh.

If any violations are found, strict action will be taken against such NGOs. 

In fact, Modi government 1.0 took away permission to receive foreign contribution from nearly 18,000 NGOs including Infosys and Essar Foundations for allegedly violating FCRA rules.

Now, why I am saying that Amit Shah has given the biggest gift to Modi is, because many NGOs got money from very big global foundations to finish off Modi's political career, when he was the chief minister of Gujarat.

One must be very much aware of Teesta Setalvad who is running a trust called Citizens for Justice and Peace and paid agent of ISI Ghulam Nabi Fai.

Teesta is known for anti-Narendra Modi stance and is facing many court cases, including embezzlement of trust funds and receiving a hefty amount from various foundations to bring insult on Modi and Gujarat in post-Godhra riots case.

In one such endeavor, Teesta and Shahrukh Alam's NGOs had organised the then Supreme Court judge Aftab Alam's visit to London to deliver a lecture on Promoting Pluralism Knowledge Programme, which was part of some NGOs working for 2002 riots victims in Gujarat.

Shahrukh Alam is daughter of Justice Aftab Alam, who was hearing a matter relating to alleged "fabricating of evidence in a post-Godhra riots case.

The tone and tenor of the lecture delivered on October 14, 2009, depicted his strong belief as regards to victimisation of the minority community and made reference to his daughter PPKP’s India initiative.

Sensing a reasonable likelihood of bias in hearing the matter, former aide of Teesta, Rais Khan Pathan, had moved the Supreme Court seeking recusal of Justice Aftab Alam from the bench hearing the matter.

Pathan was accused of fabricating evidences along with Teesta in Naroda Gam case in which 11 people were killed in 2002.

It should also be noted here is a letter written by former Judge of Gujarat High Court and former Gujarat Lokayukta Justice S M Soni to then Chief of India SH Kapadia, in July 2012.

Soni had requested to keep 'communal mindset' Justice Alam away from Gujarat cases and transfer all matter related to Gujarat before any other bench.

Soni had also requested to stay further hearing of all criminal cases in which Gujarat government is a party and are being heard by Justice Alam.

It is also alleged that Teesta always wanted Justice Alam to hear the cases. 

At one point of time, when she realised that Justice Alam would not be hearing the case due to roaster system, she raked up the sub-judice cases with the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, which showed her confidence more in that organisation than the Indian court.

The Supreme Court, in January 2011, rapped Teesta's action by saying, "We don’t appreciate a letter being sent to a foreign country. We can’t approve of it. This shows that you have more confidence in that organisation than us."

The court also had said, "Tomorrow the proceedings of this court will be reported to that organisation. What police commissioner does or joint police commissioner does will also be reported to the international body. We are capable of doing our work. We don’t want to be guided. If you have any grievance, you can come to us. We are here."

Teesta, her husband Javed Anand and the two NGOs' bank accounts were frozen by Ahmedabad police in 2014, soon after it began investigating an alleged embezzlement case wherein she was said to have collected Rs 1.51 crore from national and international donors promising to convert Gulbarg society to 2002 riots museum, but later used the money for personal use.

The Modi government 1.0 also froze the bank account of the firm located in Mumbai, as the Home Ministry claimed that the firm was not authorised to receive funds from abroad as it was not registered under FCRA.

Fai, on the other hand, was arrested by FBI from his house in Fairfax in Virginia, on charges of receiving hundreds and thousands of dollars from ISI and using them for lobbying at the Capitol Hill and holding seminars and conferences.

In one of the conferences, Indian intellectuals and journalists including Harinder Baweja, Ved Bhasin and Gautam Navlakha, attended it. 

The conference passed a resolution "unanimously" expressing grave concern over the "deteriorating” human rights situation in Kashmir and urged India to withdraw its armed forces from civilian populated areas and sought an impartial commission to investigate "killings" in a transparent manner.

So, if the present amended FCRA norms were in vogue at that point of time, participation of Justice Alam and Indian intellectuals in anti-India events abroad would have invited strict action against them for their anti-India activities and fomenting disharmony in the country by their hate speeches against India and its institutions. 

And also, would have prevented huge fundings from big foundations and misuse of the same as was done by Teesta and others.

Truly, it is the best gift Shah gave to Modi on his 69th birthday.

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