India may become the first country to shut down Greenpeace

Greenpeace India says it’s on the verge of shutting down its operations in India, unless the government lifts the freeze on the organisation’s bank accounts.

Speaking to Deccan Herald, Divya Raghunandan, program director of Greenpeace

India, said if the accounts were not released by end of May, India would become the first country to see the NGO shutting down its operations. The Indian Government has blocked Greenpeace’s domestic and international bank accounts, accusing it of “negatively impacting economic development” in the country.

Greenpeace draws its funds from both Indian and foreign sources. The group claims that around 70 percent of its total funding in the country comes from Indians, while the foreign donations make up for the rest.

As the government has blocked accounts that receive money from both the sources Raghunandan said the government was strangling Greenpeace to death.

Raghunandan said that the NGO had faith in the judiciary and would fight the case in the court. Greenpeace employees had decided to wait till the judgement and are holding discussions on how to carry on with their work without salary, she added.

Raghunandan said that the government’s action on Greenpeace had a larger message to all civil society bodies and NGOs: Either follow what we say or wind up.