Union home ministry on Thursday cancelled foreign funding registration of the NGO run by social activist Shabnam Hashmi as part of its audit of renewal of around 14,000 such licenses in the past few months.
The ministry in its revision order said the NGO had come under the scanner due to its “undesirable” activities against public interest. It added that renewal of the NGO’s foreign funding license should have been turned down but it was renewed ‘inadvertently’.
Therefore, the ministry is now reversing its order of renewal issued in March this year.
Besides Hashmi-run NGO ANHAD (Act Now for Harmony and Democracy) the ministry has also reversed renewal of funding licence of two more Ahmedabad-based Navsarjan Trust and Rural Development Research Centre, taking the total number of such reversals to eight.
“After the Narendra Modi government came to power in May, 2014, we have faced inquiry twice. The government just want to squeeze voices of dissent working on the ground.
For the last two years, Teesta (Setalvad, another social activist) was being attacked, they required a new name, so now its turn of Shabnam and ANHAD. But we will not shut-up,” said Hashmi after the reversal.
{{/usCountry}}For the last two years, Teesta (Setalvad, another social activist) was being attacked, they required a new name, so now its turn of Shabnam and ANHAD. But we will not shut-up,” said Hashmi after the reversal.
{{/usCountry}}Hashmi added that Navsarjan, which also lost its license in the audit, was also working among marginalised Dalits in Gujarat.
Among the eight reversals so far, two NGOs belong to Setalvad – Sabrang Trust and Citizen for Justice and Peace (CJP).