Greenpeace slams govt for gagging civil society

NGO says its was a very humiliating year

Staring at the prospect of having to wind up its activities, Greenpeace India on Thursday attacked the Narendra Modi government saying it was a “humiliating year” for them, as it was not expected of an elected government to treat ‘legitimate NGOs’ in such a manner.

Greenpeace Executive Director Samit Aich said the NGO has seen a “surge” in support from civil society, donors and staff, which will allow them to keep basic functions alive for another month by scaling back the extent of the campaign to “bare minimum”.

Asked how the NGO viewed the government's first year in office, Aich said, “It was a humiliating first year” for them and “this is not what is expected from an elected government to treat legitimate NGOs like Greenpeace in such a manner.”

“If you see the range of decisions which have been taken, most of them have been faulty and they have been more on speed and not on depth. For a government it is important to demonstrate not just how decisions are taken speedily but with depth,” he said.

Greenpeace India has been served a showcause notice asking why its registration should not be cancelled on the ground that it had violated laws regarding foreign donations. The NGO has approached the Delhi High Court seeking quashing the proceedings against it and is hoping for a “positive outcome” when the judges hear the case on May 26.

The NGO has urged supporters across the world to sign a letter to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to support free speech in India. Aich also said 228 employees of the NGO have written to him promising to work without pay in June.

On the court case, he said, “We are confident in our case and are hopeful that the court will grant us relief on Tuesday. But the wheels of justice can take time, and we need to make sure we don't disappear completely in the next few weeks. This plan enables us to do that."