Yet another Catholic aid organization has been stripped of its registration under the stringent Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA), a crucial lifeline for securing foreign funding in India.
This blow came on Saturday, February 3, as the Union Home Ministry of India took action against the Tamil Nadu Social Service Society (TNSOSS), a Christian social service entity, citing alleged violations of norms.
According to an AsiaNews report, TNSOSS holds the mantle as the recognized organization of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Tamil Nadu, dedicated to the causes of justice, peace, and development.
This recent bureaucratic maneuver mirrors a similar play against World Vision India (WVI), a US-based NGO specializing in child welfare, back on January 20th.
A couple of years ago, a comparable situation unfolded with the Missionaries of Charity, the nuns under the stewardship of Mother Teresa.
However, public outcry managed to secure the reinstatement of their registration within a matter of weeks.
Fr. Devasagaya Raj of the Archdiocese of Cuddalore-Pondicherry, and former secretary of the Office for Dalits and disadvantaged groups at the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI), said, “The cancellation of the Tamil Nadu Social Service Society’s registration is disheartening news.”
The priest said the organization, working through diocesan social service societies, “extends its reach to benefit impoverished women and marginalized individuals, regardless of their religious beliefs”.
“The progress of people shouldn’t hinge solely on the government; the stifling of NGOs disproportionately affects the less privileged,” said Fr. Raj.
