Indian Government Seeks Inquiry Into Ford Foundation Grants
April 15, 2015 | Read Time: 1 minute
The government in the Western Indian state of Gujarat has launched an investigation into Ford Foundation grants to nonprofits run by civil-rights activist and critic of the Indian prime minister, Teesta Setalvad, The Times of India reports.
The government has accused the foundation of defaming the Indian military, stoking religious tensions, and “abetting communal disharmony” through its grants. Ms. Setalvad has been a vocal critic of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi since the 2002 riots in Gujarat.
Grants from the Ford Foundation are the main source of funding for Ms. Setalvad’s two organizations, Sabrang Trust and Citizens for Justice & Peace. The Gujarat government has called them “proxy offices” of the foundation.
