Greenpeace India staring at closure, has a month's funds left

New Delhi, May 6: Greenpeace India which has been in the eye of the storm following the Home Ministry freezing its funds may shut shop in India. Greenpeace India has just a month's funds left with it and if the funds continue to remain frozen then the NGO is staring at a close down.

This was conveyed to the staff of Greenpeace India by the executive director of the NGO, Samit Aich. Terming the government action against Greenpeace India, Aich termed the actions as strangulation by stealth.

Funds are drying up

Greenpeace India says that it has funds remaining only to carry out operations for a month. Stating that they would continue their legal fight against the suspension of their registration, Aich told the staff the government was trying to close down Greenpeace India due to their successful campaigns.

The NGO says that this action against them would cost 340 employees their jobs and also would mark the end of their successful campaigns. The NGO says that they are preparing a formal response to the Home Ministry action against them.

Home Ministry wants explanation

Meanwhile the Home Ministry of India which had enforced the action to suspend the license of Greenpeace India says that it would want an explanation. We have given them time to give us their response and the action would be reviewed on the basis of the same, a Home Ministry official said.

Further the Home Ministry also said that the accounts had been frozen as funds coming in were found to be in violation of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act. There is no ban on Greenpeace India, but we have asked them to explain the source of funds.

The Home Ministry had suspended the license of Greenpeace India and also frozen their bank accounts. It was alleged that several campaigners of the NGO had been working contrary to the economic interests of India.

Recently one of the campaigners of Greenpeace India, Priya Pillai was offloaded from a UK bound plane. It was alleged that she was on her way to address British MPs about a coal project and it was felt that she was speaking out against a development project.

An Intelligence Bureau dossier last year had stated that several NGOs in the country including Greenpeace India were working contrary to the economic interests of India.

Further it was also stated that several protests were being stage managed by the NGOs only with an intention of blocking developmental projects thus hurting the economy of the country.

OneIndia News