Indian authorities have raided the home of prominent environmental activist Harjeet Singh, accusing him and his wife Jyoti Awasthi of receiving £500,000 from foreign donors to promote a fossil fuel non-proliferation treaty in India. The Enforcement Directorate (ED), a law enforcement agency under the finance ministry, claims that Singh's campaigning for the FFNPT is undermining national interest.
According to the ED, Singh and his wife, co-founders of Satat Sampada (Nature Forever), received suspicious foreign inward remittances disguised as consultancy charges from climate campaign groups linked to NGOs like Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors. However, cross-verification indicates that these funds were intended to promote the FFNPT agenda in India.
The ED claims that Singh's work for Satat Sampada was actually a front to channel foreign funds and further the cause of the fossil fuel non-proliferation treaty within India. They suspect misdeclaration and misrepresentation of the nature and purpose of the foreign funds received by the organization.
Singh and his wife have denied the allegations, stating that they started Satat Sampada with their own savings and loans secured on their home in 2016. The ED has been investigating Singh's trips to Pakistan and Bangladesh last year and has found a large cache of whiskey at Singh's home in Delhi, which exceeded legal limits.
The raids come amid growing pressures on civil society organizations in India under the Narendra Modi government. Nearly 17,000 licenses to receive foreign funding have been suspended, and many organizations have shut down. Environmental activists have long faced skepticism from authorities, with some accused of being influenced by foreign powers.
The FFNPT Initiative has gained international support, including from Pacific Island nations, Vanuatu, and Tuvalu, as well as 17 national governments, the World Health Organization, and the European parliament. However, India's energy security and economic development are now at risk due to the alleged influence of foreign donors on its environmental policies.
The investigation into Singh has sparked concerns about the government's intentions towards civil society and environmental activism in India. Activists fear that they will face increased scrutiny and repression under the ED's watchful eye.
According to the ED, Singh and his wife, co-founders of Satat Sampada (Nature Forever), received suspicious foreign inward remittances disguised as consultancy charges from climate campaign groups linked to NGOs like Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors. However, cross-verification indicates that these funds were intended to promote the FFNPT agenda in India.
The ED claims that Singh's work for Satat Sampada was actually a front to channel foreign funds and further the cause of the fossil fuel non-proliferation treaty within India. They suspect misdeclaration and misrepresentation of the nature and purpose of the foreign funds received by the organization.
Singh and his wife have denied the allegations, stating that they started Satat Sampada with their own savings and loans secured on their home in 2016. The ED has been investigating Singh's trips to Pakistan and Bangladesh last year and has found a large cache of whiskey at Singh's home in Delhi, which exceeded legal limits.
The raids come amid growing pressures on civil society organizations in India under the Narendra Modi government. Nearly 17,000 licenses to receive foreign funding have been suspended, and many organizations have shut down. Environmental activists have long faced skepticism from authorities, with some accused of being influenced by foreign powers.
The FFNPT Initiative has gained international support, including from Pacific Island nations, Vanuatu, and Tuvalu, as well as 17 national governments, the World Health Organization, and the European parliament. However, India's energy security and economic development are now at risk due to the alleged influence of foreign donors on its environmental policies.
The investigation into Singh has sparked concerns about the government's intentions towards civil society and environmental activism in India. Activists fear that they will face increased scrutiny and repression under the ED's watchful eye.
. Like, they think he was using his org Satat Sampada to get money from foreign donors to promote a fossil fuel treaty 
. But, I'm not buying it 
. The gov is basically saying that any environmental activist who takes money from abroad is somehow undermining national interest 
.
? The gov needs to chill out and stop cracking down on ppl who are actually making a difference 
.
That doesn't sound suspicious at all. It sounds like Harjeet Singh is trying to make a difference on climate change 
. It's scary for activists who are already facing so much scrutiny and skepticism from authorities. The fact that Satat Sampada started with their own savings doesn't change the fact that they were trying to promote a treaty that gained international support 
. I hope Singh and his wife get through this investigation without too much trouble 
.
! The raids on Harjeet Singh's home and his alleged ties to foreign donors are super suspicious 
.
Is that really relevant to the investigation?
. Will we see more and more orgs getting shut down or raided because they're not aligned with the government's agenda? It's like, isn't the point of having civil society orgs that they can hold the powers-to-be accountable? 
. I think it's just another excuse to crack down on people who are actually making a difference 
. Harjeet Singh has been doing incredible work for years and this is the thanks he gets? I'm not buying it, sounds like a classic case of #fake news 
. The ED is more interested in silencing dissent than actually investigating real wrongdoing 
. Can't believe the government is using environmental activism as an excuse to crush the spirit of people who are fighting for what's right 
.
. But at the same time, I think it's good that someone is looking into this, you never know what's really going on behind the scenes 
.
And isn't it weird that they're focusing on foreign donors when domestic companies and governments are probably getting more money than them? 
I'm not saying Harjeet is innocent or anything, but let's not jump to conclusions just yet 
I'm so worried about Harjeet Singh and his wife, Jyoti Awasthi. They're doing amazing work promoting a fossil fuel non-proliferation treaty in India, but now they're being targeted by the authorities? 
It feels like the government is trying to silence Harjeet Singh and his wife Jyoti Awasthi before they can make a difference.
and environmental activists are already being skeptical of gov intentions 
what if this is just another way for them to silence dissenting voices?