Rupam Jain, Manoj Kumar

NEW DELHI (Reuters), – Monday saw the Indian government “refuse” to renew a permit necessary for Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity to access foreign funds. This cuts off a crucial source of funding the charity relies on for its programs to help the poor.

Mother Teresa of Calcutta, who was a Nobel laureate and a Roman Catholic nun, died in 1997. She founded the MoC back in 1950. More than 3,000 sisters worldwide run the MoC, which includes schools, hospices and community kitchens.

After receiving “adverse inputs”, the government stated that the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi denied permission for the charity to be registered under Foreign Contribution Regulation Act.

According to the home ministry, “During consideration of the MoC’s renewal application,” some negative inputs were noted. It did not give details.

A previous allegation by Mamata Bangerjee, West Bengal’s chief minister, that charity bank accounts were being frozen was also denied by the ministry.

The MoC later confirmed that their FCRA application had not been renewed. It also stated in a statement that its centers have been asked to cease operating foreign contributions accounts while the matter is being resolved.

Modi’s Hindu extremist outfits have been claiming that the MoC is leading religious conversion programs in poor Hindu communities. They claim the MoC offers them food, medicines, education, and shelter. The MoC denies these claims.

In a tweet earlier, Banerjee (chief minister of West Bengal), where MoC is headquartered, stated that she was surprised to discover that all Indian bank accounts had been frozen by the Union Ministry at Christmas.

“Their 22,000 patients & employees have been left without food & medicines. Banerjee is an opposition leader who has been vocal in his criticism of Modi’s government. “While the law must be respected, humanitarian efforts cannot be compromised.”

According to the federal government, the MoC accounts were frozen by Bank of America on request from the charity.

According to Archdiocese of Calcutta, Vicar General Dominic Gomes of Calcutta stated that the freezing of accounts was “a brutal Christmas gift for the poorest of our poor”.

This row follows days of disruption of Christmas services by Hindu vigilantes in India’s parts, including some in states controlled by Modi ahead of the upcoming local elections.

MINORITIES AT RISK

Right-wing Hindu organizations have increased their power across countries since Modi was elected to power in 2014. They also launched attacks against minorities and claimed they were trying to prevent religious conversions.

Christians, along with other critics, point out that Christians only represent 2.3% of India’s 1.37 billion inhabitants. Hindus make up the vast majority. The excuse that some Hindu groups use to prevent conversions is a valid reason for Christians being violently attacked, they reject.

On Monday, the Hindu newspaper reported that Christmas celebrations were disrupted at the weekend, and the last week. This included the vandalism of a statue of Jesus Christ at Ambala, Haryana (a north state governed under Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP).

According to the report, activists burned a Santa Claus model and shouted anti-Christmas slogans in front of Varanasi church. Varanasi is Modi’s constituency and Hinduism’s holiest capital.

Elias Vaz (national vice-president, All India Catholic Union) condemned these latest events.

Vaz stated that India’s strength is its diversity, and those who do this during Christmas are anti-nationals.

Telephone contact was made with the state and federal governments, but they declined to comment.

Numerous Indian states have or are considering passing anti-conversion laws, which challenge the constitutionly protected right to freedom and belief within their country.