'Clampdown on dissent, an international embarrassment for India': Greenpeace India

As the opposition to the massive clampdown on voices of dissent gets stronger within the country, the arbitrary actions by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) are turning out to be a major international embarrassment.

Greenpeace India today said that the government's actions would undermine India's standing in the global community of democratic nations.

"We have been saying all along that the clampdown on dissenting voices by the Home Ministry is against what Indian democracy stands for. The MHA is creating an 'emergency' like situation and Indian civil society is already coming together to question this 'my way or highway' attitude of the government," said Samit Aich, executive director Greenpeace India.

"It is hardly surprising that the government's actions are now starting to attract international attention. India is right now seeking a far more active role on the global stage. Such actions back home will only weaken India's global image," added Aich.

In the past one year, Greenpeace India has been on the receiving end of an orchestrated and malicious attack by the Ministry of Home Affairs.

In the past few weeks, the MHA froze all of the NGO's accounts, suspended its FCRA registration and has also reportedly written to the revenue department to revoke the society registration and charity status of Greenpeace India. Such kind of a state action has been unprecedented for Greenpeace, which operates in over 40 countries.

"With both our foreign and domestic income accounts frozen by the government, we face the very real threat of having to shut down in what is celebrated as the biggest and most vibrant democracy in the world," said Aich.

"We hope that democratic principles will be upheld and the government accepts that civil society voices - even those critical of the government - have a legitimate role to play in a democracy," added Aich.

The Indian courts have upheld the right to dissent and Greenpeace India hopes the government sees that it has more to gain by allowing a healthy debate and discourse in the country rather than clamping down on dissent.