Centre goes after NGOs to put down K-movement

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THOOTHUKUDI: In what is being dubbed as an attempt to muzzle the anti-Koodankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KKNPP) movement, the Union Home Ministry has begun an ‘audit’ of foreign funds received by six non-Governmental organisations, all linked to the protestors. Top sources in the Central Government told Express that two senior officers of the Home Ministry - Jothikanth Singh and Prakash - had flown down to southern Tamil Nadu to conduct the audit. “We strongly suspect that these agencies had diverted the funds received from abroad to fund the anti-KKNPP struggle,” a top Central government official said.The NGOs that have come under scrutiny include the Thoothukudi Multipurpose Social Service Society, Peal run by Y David at Madurai, and Good Vision at Kanyakumari district.  Incidentally, David, along with PMANE convener S P Udayakumar had played a decisive role in mobilising local people against the Koodankulam project in the early nineties.Reacting angrily to the ‘audit’, Udayakumar alleged that only Christian-run NGOs are being targeted. “We have repeatedly made it clear that the PMANE is not receiving funds from any NGO in India or abroad. By conducting these raids, the Centre is seeking to project Churches as being ‘anti-national’ in character,” Udayakumar charged.However, the Central official said “We are only looking into possible diversion of funds received by these NGOs. Therefore, the charge of targeting Christians does not hold good,” the senior official said.