After 14 years, Greenpeace is now persona non grata in the country. The licence to operate was withdrawn by the Tamil Nadu government and the Centre has said it had nothing to do with cancellation of the licence which is a state matter. Greenpeace was registered under the Tamil Nadu Societies Registration Act 1975 and the charge against it is 'fraudulent conduct of business and falsification of accounts'. Cancellation of the licence is in line with the policy of the Centre to hound out all NGOs with foreign connections and tame the home-bred variety. The BJP dispensation is apparently allergic to NGOs, which it believes are a hindrance to development. This is in sharp contrast to the policy of the earlier UPA government which found a way to coexist with NGOs and even encouraged the work undertaken by them. There is some reservation within certain circles and justifiably so, that foreign funding is aimed at stalling growth in the country. Greenpeace's agenda is runs counter to the development mantra of governments all over the globe and New Delhi or Chennai need not be surprised about it. While insisting on financial propriety is essential, cancellation of licence to operate is an over-the-top reaction and symptomatic of a government that does not know how to handle dissidence or take all stakeholders along with it on the development path.
