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A court in Delhi unlocked two local bank accounts of the international environmental lobbyist group Greenpeace Wednesday, after freezing its funds in a larger crack down on foreign aid organizations operating in the country.
Last month, the Indian government canceled the registration of almost 9,000 non-governmental organizations on the basis that they violated the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act. These include violating the tax code and working against the country's economic interests, according to the government.
Greenpeace was among those nongovernmental organization whose registration was canceled and funds frozen. The government accused it of not following the law and collecting and using foreign funds specifically to target India’s economic and development interests.
The environmental organization has been actively lobbying against India's coal mining industry – one of the world's largest sources of coal and a major source of income for the country.
Greenpeace filed a plea in court against the goverment's cancellation of its registration, saying the move was an “act of intimidation and harrassement.”
The organization was also concerned that it would have to shut down all operations in the country within a month if its funds were not soon released.
The court ruled that the government could not choke the non-profit's funds, and said Greenpeace could access its accounts for day-to-day functioning and for receiving donations from domestic supporters. It also allowed Greenpeace to liquidate its fixed deposits.
However, the court made it clear that the ruling was temporary, and still could not access certain funds still frozen by the government.
Greenpeace, which has been present in India for 14 years and employs some 340 people, said the suspension of licence and freezing of accounts were completely “illegal and unconstitutional.”
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