MIZZIMA: Indian government to restr

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Subject: MIZZIMA: Indian government to restrict foreigners attending

seminars in India
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Norms for foreigners attending seminars in India

(From the Hindu newspaper)

25th June 1999

In a surprise move, the government has made it "mandatory" for all
foreign nationals intending to participate in workshops and seminars
organised by voluntary organisations in the country to take clearance
from the Union Home Ministry.

Though there is no written rule or guideline, the Government has started
following this system recently setting up a new precedent. This pertains
to seminars and works shops organised by voluntary organisations.

Also, the voluntary organisatins would have to take permission from the
Ministry of External Affairs to organise such a conference where there
are foreign participants.

Recently, three of the international participants to the 11th Annual
John Hopkins International Philanthropy Fellows Conference on Building
Civil Society being organised by the Development Support Initiative,
Bangalore, from July 3-9 got a fax that they will not be given visas.

The three participants were told by the Indian High Commission in London
that they should first get clearance from the Home Ministry. The High
Commission informed them that "all conferences to do with the voluntary
sector and which appear to be Government/politically sensitive has to
get clearance for participants from abroad."

Several Government officials members from the corporate sector and the
media are expected to participate in the conference to be held in
Bangalore.

This matter was brought to the notice of the Voluntary Action Network
India (VANI) which expressed shock and surprise at the Home Ministry
setting up the new precedent of foreign participants having to take
clearance from it for attending workshops and seminars organised by NGOs
in the country.

VANI expressed surprise that while thousands of foreign tourists are
coming to India without much problems and NRIs are getting permanent
visas after paying certain amount of money, the Government  has started
a new precedent to get special clearance from the Home Ministry for
participants at conferences organised by the voluntary sector.

The high-handedness is making the environment under which the voluntary
organisations work even more suffocating," Mr. Anil K. Singh, Executive
secretary, VANI stated.


The officials of the Home Ministry failed to give any explanations
behind the move.

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Curbs on foreigners

>From the Hindu newspaper (A letter to editor)

5th July 1999

Sir, - It has been reported (The Hindu, June 25) that foreigners wishing
to attend workshops or conferences organised by voluntary agencies or
NGOs and those organising conferences where foreigners attend will have
to get permission from the Home Ministry. This is an intolerable
restriction on building an open and civil society. Visas were refused to
American professionals wishing to attend a conference in Bangalore on
building a civil society that is open, where citizens take increasing
responsibility through their own associations. The old dichotomy between
the public sector and the private sector no longer holds. In dynamic
modern societies, citizens' public interest organisations, NGO's and
other public but non-profit agencies comprise a third sector and have
been taking an increasing role in building a just and equitable society.
The extent of this is also a good measure of development in a country,
and India is moving rapidly in this direction. This new regulation is
retrograde and not in line with the open and civil society that most
citizens of India want.

Also, if the Home Ministry wishes to impose such a restriction, other
countries may well apply similar rules on Indians wishing to attend
professional and public interest organisation meetings. It is also
likely that such a restriction will have an effect on funds coming into
India for humanitarian, environment, academic, and public interest
activities. And what about foreigners living in India? I have been
invited to attend several workshops and conferences the past few months,
organised by academic, professional civic and NGO groups, often at short
notice. If we and the host agency have to get clearance from the Home
Ministry in Delhi each time, whom must we contact there, and how long
will it take?



Clarence Maloney,

Kodaikanal
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