Employees of the non-governmental organisation Greenpeace India have pledged to forgo their salaries in June, given the uncertainties surrounding its finances after the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) froze its bank accounts citing financial irregularities.
The NGO’s executive director, Samit Aich, said Greenpeace India has seen a surge in support from civil society allies, new donors and its own staff, which will allow the organisation to function for one more month.
He read out an emotional letter written by his staff members, promising to work without pay in June.
He said over 30,000 supporters had signed a petition addressed to the MHA, calling on the Home Minister to end the crackdown on civil society groups and unfreeze Greenpeace India’s bank accounts.
Mr. Aich also invited Greenpeace supporters from around the world to sign an open letter to U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, urging him to support the cause of free speech in India.
Hearing next weekOn May 26, the Delhi High Court will hear the NGO’s writ petition, challenging the suspension of its Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) licence and the freeze on its national and international bank accounts. Mr. Aich continued: “We are confident that the court will grant us relief on Tuesday. But the wheels of justice can take time, and we need to make sure we don’t disappear completely in the next few weeks.”
Greenpeace India feels that it is being targeted for its activities which are critical of the government and thus viewed as contrary to the development policies pursued by the state.
The NGO has opposed the coal mining projects in forest areas, with its most recent campaign in Mahan, Madhya Pradesh, successfully stalling a coal mine operated by the corporate group Essar.
Priya Pillai, an activist with the NGO, claimed that in the one year of NDA government, there have been significant efforts to dilute environmental laws and regulations to make it easier for businesses to bypass project impact assessment processes, and this formed the context in which their work was being curtailed.
Willy D’Costa from the Indian Social Action Forum (INSAF) said the ‘unconstitutional clampdown on dissenters’ in this country must stop. He extended support to Greenpeace India, and said that he was willing to offer office space to the NGOs staff if required.
