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Letters

Bitter reality
Intelligence Bureau's report about misuse of 'Non-Government-Organisations' (NGOs) for any anti-national agenda by foreign-contributors is shocking where it is revealed that India's GDP has been adversely affected to big extent of 2-3 percent through such foreign-funding to NGOs. Apart from this some NGOs are said to have been foreign-funded for cultural evasion of masses in India. Foreign-funded NGOs spend in rupees and receive funds in dollars by sending these foreign-contributors exaggerated photos and videos of events dramatised to get huge foreign-funding.

Siphoning of government funds for NGOs by influential ones in political and bureaucratic circles for benefit of NGO's run in name of their family- members is quite common. These NGOs pay lucrative salaries and perks to its officers who are either relation to power-filled politicians and bureaucrats, or of persons running these NGOs. Buildings built on land allotted on concessional rates to NGOs should become government-property because of large-scale funding already done to these NGOs by the government. According to a study-report, India has an NGO for every 400 citizens, an unbelievable but bitter reality where NGOs are mainly used as some business-shops by those 'owning' these! Any provision of tax-exemption for 'donations' made to NGOs should be abolished. However in the meanwhile all NGOs should be under purview of 'Right-To-Information' (RTI) Act and also of Lokpal.

Apart from stopping any kind of direct or indirect funding of NGOs at public-expense including from funds at discretion of Parliamentarians and state-legislators, those getting foreign-funding should be under a strict vigilance-scanner also because many NGOs are tools to divert foreign-funds of individuals.
Subhash Chandra Agrawal, New Delhi

Violence against women
Violence against women in Mexico and Central America has sharply increased following injection of security funding from the US.

‘‘The war on drugs in Mexico, Honduras and Guatemala has become a war on women. Efforts to improve 'security' have only led to greater militarization, rampant corruption and abuse within police forces and erosion of rule of law. Ultimately, it has resulted in a crisis of insecurity where no one is safe’’, said Nobel Peace Laureates Jody Williams and Rigoberta Menchu.

Alongside the sharp rise in violence and violations of human rights generally in Mexico and Central America there has been nations with an alarming increase in violence against women. People across the world see an increase in femicides, attacks on women human rights defenders and rape and other forms of sexualized violence committed by state security forces and shadow powers such as organized crime, business interests, and private security forces throughout the countries.

Women's and human rights organizations in Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras have reported a clear correlation between public expenditures—US foreign aid for security and counternarcotics programmes, and violence against women.
Just Associates

Frontier
Vol. 46, No. 52, Jul 6 - 12, 2014