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Missionaries of Charity

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Foreign funding for the Missionaries of Charity (MoC), an internationally renowned charitable organisation that was founded by Nobel laureate Mother Teresa back in 1950, has come under a cloud. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has refused the MoC’s application for the renewal of registration under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA), citing ‘adverse inputs’. The ministry has stated that the organisation did not meet the eligibility conditions under the FCRA and the Foreign Contribution Regulation Rules. The Centre has not elaborated on these ‘inputs’, even as the decision to block the inflow of foreign funds has triggered a political slugfest. The Trinamool Congress has accused the Union Government of intimidating the Kolkata-headquartered MoC, while the Congress has termed it as an attempt to suppress Christian charity and humanitarian work. The organisation, which is spread over around 140 countries, has asked its centres not to operate any foreign currency account till the issue of renewal of FCRA registration is resolved.

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The MHA’s refusal comes weeks after an FIR was registered against the director of an MoC-run children’s home in Gujarat in the wake of allegations of religious conversions, levelled by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights. There is speculation that the case, filed under the Gujarat Freedom of Religion Act, might have influenced the government’s latest decision. In any case, the entire community should not be tarred with the same brush over some unsubstantiated accusation.

The MoC has performed yeoman service in India and abroad over the decades, helping the poor and the abandoned — be it homeless refugees, persons with special needs, the elderly or victims of floods, epidemics and famines. The healing touch has given millions of destitute people a new lease of life. Such a venerated institution has remained above board while serving humanity with selfless zeal. The MoC should proactively offer all its account books to counter the government’s doubts regarding utilisation of foreign funds. Greater transparency is the only antidote to partisan propaganda. The Centre, on its part, must ensure clarity regarding the legal basis of its actions and dispel apprehensions that it is targeting a minority body.

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