Catholic charity loses FCRA registration, which is essential to receive foreign funds. Particularly affected will be women and the most marginalised groups helped without religious distinction. “Stifling NGOs affects the poor the most,” says Fr Devasagaya Raj.
Chennai (AsiaNews) – Another Catholic charity has had its registration revoked under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA), which is needed to obtain foreign funding.
On Saturday, India's Ministry of Home Affairs notified the Tamil Nadu Social Service Society (TASOSS), a Catholic aid organisation that its registration was being cancelled due to alleged violations.
TASOSS is the official organisation for justice, peace and development of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Tamil Nadu.
This new hostile act comes on the heels of another deregistration that of World Vision India (WVI), a US-based child advocacy NGO, on 20 January.
Two years ago, the Missionaries of Charity, also known as the Sisters of Mother Teresa, failed to have their registration renewed, but following the uproar caused by the affair, it was eventually granted a few weeks later.
“The cancellation of the registration of the Tamil Nadu Social Service Society is sad news,” said Fr Devasagaya Raj of the Archdiocese of Cuddalore-Pondicherry, speaking to AsiaNews.
The TASOSS “ is an entity that carries out its basic service through diocesan social service societies. Poor women and marginalised people, regardless of their religion, have benefited,” explained Fr Raj, who is a former secretary of the Office for Dalits and Disadvantaged Groups at the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI).
“People’s development does not depend only on the government. Stifling NGOs affects the poor the most,” the clergyman noted. “What is more, for the first time this year a Dalit priest took over as TASOSS director, but as soon as he took office, he is handed this huge challenge as well.”