Crackdown: India Curbs Greenpeace Funding

The Hindu, 19 June 2014
Varghese K George
Indian Home Ministry places curbs on each foreign donation
Following an Intelligence Bureau (IB) report that alleged foreign-funded NGOs were creating obstacles to India’s economic growth, the Home Ministry has clamped down on Greenpeace, an international campaign group present in 40 countries.

In a letter dated 13th June, the Ministry has directed the Reserve Bank of India that all foreign contributions originating from Greenpeace International and Climate Works Foundation — two principal international contributors to Greenpeace India Society — must be kept on hold until individual clearances are obtained from the Ministry for each transaction.
The RBI has been asked to direct banks to this effect. The central bank has also been asked to report to the government if any government department or institution is receiving such funds.
Greenpeace was specifically targeted because the IB report had charged it with orchestrating “massive efforts to take down India’s coal-fired power projects and mining activity.”
According to the report, public protests in Madhya Pradesh’s Singrauli region — which produces 15,000 MW energy — were being engineered by Greenpeace, “actively aided and led by foreign activists.”
In its directive to the chief general manager, Department of Banking Operations and Development, RBI, the Ministry has invoked Section 46 of the Foreign Contributions (Regulations) Act, 2010, that says the “Central government may give such directions as it may deem necessary” for execution of the provisions of the Act.
The new directive will effectively bar the NGO from accepting foreign money, as it will require seeking case-by-case clearance for each contribution.
Full story
see also full Intelligence Bureau (IB) report
‘Concerted efforts by select foreign-funded NGOs to take down Indian development projects’
2) Intelligence Agency Calls On Indian Government To Curb Greenpeace Funding
Indian Express, 19 June 2014
Priyadarshi Siddhanta
The Intelligence Bureau has advised the government to cancel the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) registration of Greenpeace, re-assess its tax compliance and place all its international affiliates on a home ministry watch list.

The Intelligence Bureau (IB) report is a follow up to its earlier report where it had identified Greenpeace as a “threat to national economic security”. The new dossier, submitted to the government on June 9, alleges that Greenpeace India has solicited local funding in the country only to limit criticism. It is appealing for such contributions for its “crowd sourcing model to mask its sources of funding”.
“In the light of the above, Greenpeace India’s FCRA registration may require to be canceled, its tax compliance re-assessed and all of (its) international affiliates be placed on the prior category list of foreign donors,” the report notes.
Greenpeace has denied the accusations. Bharti Sinha, communications director of the organisation, told The Indian Express that they “follow complete transparency in financial dealings … (Greenpeace) publishes annual reports even though it is not legally required to”.
She also said, “We have expressed our willingness to engage with the government or any of its agencies if they have any questions. So far, we have received no communication from any government department or agency.”
Among other things, the IB report to the Prime Minister alleges that Greenpeace is also allied with a US-based anti-coal lobby group, Sierra Club, in its attempts to eliminate fossil fuel in India’s energy mix to be replaced with solar energy.
“Both have urged the US Trade Representative to drop its WTO complaint against India on domestic sourcing of solar panel and cells.”
It has also alleged that Greenpeace had formed a team called the “Moily Response Team” named after former Union environment minister Veerappa Moily to take swift actions against decisions taken by his ministry for clearances of 70 projects worth over Rs 1.5 lakh crore.
Contending that Greenpeace is at the forefront of agitations against the proposed Jaitapur nuclear power plant (JNPP) in Maharashtra since March 2011, the IB said the NGO had “written letters to eight European banks not to provide financial help to support JNPP”.
In a letter dated 13th June, the Ministry has directed the Reserve Bank of India that all foreign contributions originating from Greenpeace International and Climate Works Foundation — two principal international contributors to Greenpeace India Society — must be kept on hold until individual clearances are obtained from the Ministry for each transaction.
The RBI has been asked to direct banks to this effect. The central bank has also been asked to report to the government if any government department or institution is receiving such funds.
Greenpeace was specifically targeted because the IB report had charged it with orchestrating “massive efforts to take down India’s coal-fired power projects and mining activity.”
According to the report, public protests in Madhya Pradesh’s Singrauli region — which produces 15,000 MW energy — were being engineered by Greenpeace, “actively aided and led by foreign activists.”
In its directive to the chief general manager, Department of Banking Operations and Development, RBI, the Ministry has invoked Section 46 of the Foreign Contributions (Regulations) Act, 2010, that says the “Central government may give such directions as it may deem necessary” for execution of the provisions of the Act.
The new directive will effectively bar the NGO from accepting foreign money, as it will require seeking case-by-case clearance for each contribution.
Full story

h/t to The GWPF