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AIPSN deplores harassment of organisations that criticise the government

click here to get pdf of statement

25 July 2024

AIPSN deplores harassment of  organisations that criticise the government

 

On July 10, 2024 the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) revoked the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) registration of the parent entity (CACIM) of the non-profit Centre for Financial Accountability (CFA), an organization that critically examines the role of financial institutions in development, human rights, and environmental issues. Earlier in January, the MHA had also cancelled the FCRA registration of the Centre for Policy Research (CPR), a leading public policy research institution in New Delhi. These are only a very few cases from the hundreds of NGOs whose FCRA registrations have been cancelled in an arbitrary and non-transparent manner. An unmistakable common thread is that many of these organizations are known for their stout defence of civil rights, government accountability, democratic norms and people’s interests, and have often been critical of government policies and actions. In several cases of FCRA cancellation, reasons given by the government include positions taken against certain development projects or support for people’s struggles against specific industrial projects perceived by locals as being against tribal rights or destructive of the environment. If there are indeed any actual procedural or other “violations” of the regulations by any of these Organizations, they should be afforded the opportunity to take corrective action, institute measures to avoid repetition, and resume operations. But the government’s misuse of FCRA provisions and cancellation of permissions smacks of vindictiveness, intolerance towards criticism and manipulation of regulatory institutions and mechanisms. The government has clearly weaponized FCRA to silence dissenting civil society voices and intimidate others. AIPSN calls upon the government to stop harassing organisations that criticise  actions and policies of the government.

AIPSN has earlier noted similar trends of selectively targeting journalists, online news outlets, cultural personalities, academics and public intellectuals, and even stand-up comics and Youtubers, who have been active in raising public awareness on a variety of civic, governance and policy issues. These trends have serious implications for democracy in India, freedom of expression, and for pluralism. As a network of people-centred science movements, AIPSN is acutely aware that science and a scientific temper cannot thrive if critical thinking and pluralism are suppressed in all spheres.

AIPSN is aware that there are differing opinions in India as to the role of foreign financial assistance to civil society organizations. AIPSN itself does not receive foreign funds nor is it registered under FCRA. Yet AIPSN works with many progressive civil society organizations who do receive such funding, and recognizes their positive contributions to perspectives on development, environment, civic rights and governance. AIPSN will steadfastly defend the right of these Organizations to conduct their activities in accordance with regulatory frameworks in the country. AIPSN recognizes the need for some regulation of fund flows to civil society organizations as exist for commercial activities too. However, the FCRA as it currently operates is totally non-transparent, allows for arbitrary decisions, and gives a dominant role to the bureaucracy and its political masters, with poor oversight and even less accountability. FCRA as it stands requires thorough re-examination, institutional mechanisms for independent oversight and provisions for quasi-judicial appeals and arbitration, beside full recourse to the justice system.

It is indeed ironic that even while this vindictive and partisan crackdown on civil society recipients of foreign developmental funds is underway, several NGOs, so-called “socio-cultural” organizations and even political parties with close ties to the ruling establishment have been quietly receiving foreign funds without scrutiny, exposing the hypocrisy of the on-going onslaught on NGOs receiving foreign assistance. Why is there no level playing field? This is yet another reason for an independent regulatory mechanism, oversight and quasi-judicial review processes.

 

Contact: Asha Mishra, General Secretary 9425302012 gsaipsn@gmail.com

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Press Note protesting attempt to rename RCGB in unscientific manner

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All india People’s Science Network

Central Secretariat: O/O Tamil Nadu Science Forum, 6, Kakkathoppu Street, Madurai-1 

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Press note: To The editor for the publication in the esteemed media.

It is learnt that Govt of india has decided to name  the second campus in the name of the RSS founder and ideologue Golwalkar within the campus of existing Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology(RGCB) , Trivandram. It is highly condemnable changing the name of a modern research institute in the name of a person who was against the modern technology calling it as western technology. 

More over the  decentants of Golwalkar had been advocating pseudo sciences calling the birth of 100 Kauravs through  stem cell technology and the birth of Karna as in vitro fertilisation technology . Let not this centre become a pseudoscience centre of research and technology.

It is  like changing the name of ancient city names which were founded by Islamic rulers as per your wishes promoting hindutva ideology  and jingoism. These are research and development institutes and centres founded on the basis of scientific development. 

We also Urge the Central Government to respect the opinion of Kerala Government and main opposition Party and sentiment of the people of the State.

Hence we urge the Govt of india not to change the existing name of the RGCB for the second campus. If there is a need from the administration point of view, it could be that of a reputed scientist in the field of biotechnology.

P.Rajamanickam

General Secretary, 

9442915101

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AIDWA and AIPSN to Launch Joint Campaign Against Misinformation around COVID-19 : From Newsclick

Read the newsclick story here

‘Under cover of the epidemic, attempts are being made by the Sangh Parivar to bolster socially conservative values, communal prejudices and patriarchal notions.’

The All-India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA) and the All India Peoples Science Network (AIPSN) will hold a joint campaign against the various superstitions and alleged cures which have been peddled for COVID-19, beginning July 23.

The campaign will kick off on Thursday, the death anniversary of Dr. Lakshmi Sahgal, a freedom-fighter and one of the founding members of AIDWA. Its last day, August 20, was the date on which “anti-superstition campaigner Dr. Narendra Dabholkar was murdered by right wing obscurantist forces,” the campaign note said.

The campaign is being launched at a time when solutions like banging plates and untested ayurvedic medicines are being touted as inhibitors or a cure for the novel coronavirus, vaccines for which are under development in various countries, including India.

“Many traditionalist practices which have no proven impact on COVID-19 are being advocated as cures or as having preventive properties. Under cover of the epidemic, attempts are being made by the Sangh Parivar to bolster socially conservative values, communal prejudices and patriarchal notions. This must be resisted unitedly by progressive and democratic forces,” the joint-campaign note said.

The note added that governments, except for Kerala, resorted to “knee-jerk” reactions and a “badly implemented” lockdown to contain COVID-19, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the way in exhorting citizens to clap and light diyas to contain the spread of the virus.

The organisations mention that the prescribed remedies included “a number of home remedies like drinking warm water, standing in the sun, growing certain plants at home and so on. Such untested beliefs gained considerable popularity until, under pressure from scientists and people’s organizations and movements, public messaging became more coherent and science-based.”

The note said that such ‘methods of treatment’ have been allowed to foster even by government representatives and spokespersons of the BJP. Such remedies also included Baba Ramdev’s Patanjali coming up with an alleged cure for COVID-19.

The organisations also mention that questionable practices have been adopted by people in states like Rajasthan, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, Odisha and Telangana. Citing attempts made by the right-wing to label the Tablighi Jamaat as a ‘super-spreader’ in the initial days of the COVID-19 fight, the note said that “any rational and unbiased person would understand that the problem is not with the particular religion, but with the practices adopted. Here obscurantist forces are deliberately fanning and spreading communal prejudice, while at the same time devaluing science and rational thought and distracting everyone from governments’ responsibility to provide quality medical care.”

“The campaign would resist attempts by the government and obscurantist forces to take us backwards, and instead uphold the values of secularism, gender justice, critical thinking and scientific temper, all of which are essential for building a forward-looking, democratic society,” the note added.