Recently Social activist Anna Hazare and other trustees of his non-governmental organization (NGO), Bhrashtachar Virodhi Jan Andolan, have been suspended for not dropping the word “anti-corruption” from its name. A joint commissioner’s say on this issue is “It’s the responsibility of the government to check corruption and it has a mechanism. The job of the NGOs is to carry out social work and they should stick to it,”
However the original circular on
which joint commissioners’ action is relied , speaks otherwise. It says “ THE CREATION OF CORRUPTION IS NOT CHARITABLE
PURPOSE BUT IT IS A STATE FUNCTION. FOR THE SAID PURPOSE THERE ARE SUBSTANTIAL
LAWS AND GOVT MACHINERY ARE EXERCISING DIFFERENT POWERS”. How true, isn’t it?.It describes exact status of government functioning in India. This circular was issued by then charity commissioner of Maharashtra in December
1999
Sixteen years later of said circular joint charity commissioner of
Pune region, Shivkumar Dighe, had in June last year directed NGOs to drop
‘anti-corruption’ references from their names and threatened to suspend the
trustees if they refused to comply with the order .Anna Hazare’s Bhrashtachar Virodhi Jan Andolan didn’t comply
with the order. And accordingly all the trustees were suspended.
However the original circular and
the High court order on which said circular is based are highly debatable. After
denial
from assistant charity commissioner to register a NGO “Mrugjal Bhrashtachar
nirmulan samite” on the grounds that it had a word “ Bhrashtachar Nirmulan” ( eradication
of corruption) it its name.The Applicant has filed the proposal for registration
of the society.The name of the society revealed that society was formed for the
purpose of removing the corruption but the objects of were different. Hence assistant
charity commissioner refused the application. Then “Mrugjal” moved to Aurangabad
bench of Mumbai High Court . High court however disposed of the petition on
admission stage without any orders .
Now if NGO can use word anti-
corruption or bhrashtachar nirmulan in their names or are they allowed do the
said work as per act may be the point of
debate . However it is the fact that even after 1999 charity commission
itself has registered several such societies.
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