NGO tied to Sterlite stir under govt scanner

NEW DELHI: The home ministry on Wednesday told the Rajya Sabha that it was probing allegations regarding purported violations of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010 (FCRA) by The Other Media, an NGO registered under FCRA that has been linked to protests against Vedanta's Sterlite copper plant in Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu. It hinted at possible cancellation of its FCRA registration if the allegations were found to be true.
"Some representations/complaints alleging violation of the provision(s) of FCRA 2010 by the association 'The Other Media, New Delhi', have been received in this ministry," MoS(home) Nityanand Rai said in written reply to a question from an MP asking if MHA had received complaints against The Other Media for misusing funds for organising protests and demonstrations around Vedanta's Sterlite copper plant.
Rai said a standard questionnaire was sent to the association seeking information on its activities and utilisation of foreign funds received by it. As per data shared by the ministry, The Other Media received total foreign contributions worth Rs 3.54 crore and utilised Rs 2.79 crore between 2019 and 2021.
It has been linked to the Sterlite plant protests in Tamil Nadu, with some alleging that the NGO was being funded by foreign entities trying to hit at India's economic security by mobilising and organising people's protests against industrial projects vetted by the government, in the name of voicing social and environmental concerns. The sustained protests, which in one instance turned violent and led to the death of over a dozen protesters in police firing, had led to the closure of Sterlite plant in 2018.
Questions were also raised then regarding some Christian NGO donors of The Other Media, particularly CORDAID that Indian intelligence agencies had blamed in 2014 for trying to stall oil drilling in North-East, World Association for Christian Communication, Christian Conference of Asia and Bread for The World.
Though the declared aim of The Other Media under FCRA is "educational, social", it is alleged to have utilised its foreign funds for organising and mobilising mass protests and advocacy campaigns. Even its FCRA returns had in the past declared that a major part of the foreign donations received by it was utilised for "activities other than those mentioned".