Telling commentary on Modi regime

The decision of the Indian wing of Amnesty International to cease its operations in the country is a result of the relentless pressure brought on it by the government through various policies, decisions and actions. Governments have generally been unfriendly to non-government organisations (NGOs) but the Modi government has been particularly hostile to and harsh on them. NGOs with foreign origin that operate in India and others which receive contributions from abroad have been special targets. Amnesty has said that its accounts were frozen by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), and it has faced continuous harassment by central agencies. The government has wielded the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) regularly against NGOs, and the law was recently amended to make it more stringent and draconian. Other laws have also been used indiscriminately against NGOs to constrain them or to put an end to their activities. The CBI has filed an FIR against Amnesty, the ED has raised charges of money laundering and the Income Tax (IT) department has been sending “investigative letters’’ to even small donors who have made contributions to the organisation.

The Nobel Prize-winning human rights organisation has operated in India for the past eight years and has championed the cause of democratic rights and civil liberties. It is known the world over for its advocacy on issues relating to the rights of minorities, refugees and prisoners, abolition of the death penalty, the conduct of the police and other official forces and many other commendable causes. It has highlighted many issues relating to the violation of civil rights and denial of justice in Kashmir and the dubious conduct of Delhi police during the communal riots in the city this year. It is clear that the organisation was being hounded for its advocacy of such issues, and the charges made against it are only excuses.

Advocacy and championing of the rights of people has a legitimate place in any democratic society. NGOs do grassroots work among sections of population like women, farmers, workers and many marginalised groups whose rights and needs need to be highlighted and fought for. They have done yeoman service in these areas and reach out to areas where governments usually do not go. They form an important part of civil society. To restrain and strangle them, especially those with high credentials like Amnesty, is wrong. The closure of Amnesty has attracted adverse attention from the UK, European Union and a number of international organisations. India is now in the company of authoritarian regimes like Russia from which human rights organisations have been forced to withdraw. Amnesty’s exit is a telling commentary on the state of democracy in the country.