22th January 2024 (10 Topics)

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Concerns Surrounding the FCRA as a Tool to Restrict Civil Liberties in India

Context:

The cancellation of FCRA licenses for prominent organizations raises concerns about the erosion of civil liberties in India, with implications for democratic backsliding.

Targeting Civil Society Entities:

- Centre for Policy Research (CPR): FCRA license suspended and later canceled, citing a farcical justification linking CPR's publications to current affairs programming.

- World Vision India: Another organization working with children, facing FCRA cancellation, contributing to a pattern of using FCRA as a tool to silence entities working on environmental issues, civil liberties, and human rights.

- Farcical justification: The government equated CPR's publications with current affairs programming, a reasoning deemed farcical for an institution fostering informed debates in a democratic ecosystem.

Broader Pattern of State Control:

- Historical Context: FCRA, born out of the Emergency era, initially aimed at preventing foreign interference, has evolved with successive amendments, becoming more stringent.

- Impact on Civil Society: FCRA amendments have created an environment of increased state control, limiting the autonomy of civil society organizations. Stringent regulations may obstruct the vital work of civil society actors, undermining their capacity to contribute to governance and policy-making.

- Stringent amendments: The 2020 amendments to FCRA criticized by the International Commission of Jurists as incompatible with international law, imposing extraordinary obstacles on civil society actors.

Implications for Democracy and Global Perception:

- Government's Sensitivity: Despite India seeking recognition as a 'Vishwaguru' and the 'Mother of Democracy,' recent actions contradict these ideals.

- Freedom House Democracy Index: India downgraded to an "electoral autocracy" due to the erosion of civil liberties, highlighting the link between perception and reality.

- Global Indices: Shutting off finances to civil society organizations on flimsy grounds contributes to democratic backsliding, impacting India's ranking in global freedom and democracy indices.

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