The editorial in the August 12th edition of the NT is a power packed gem harder
than diamond. 'I think' only those who live sheltered behind the illusory
facade of self-seeking lies will find it objectionable.
Somewhere in the early 90s I was writing a column 'Off Course' for Gomantak
Times and I wrote a piece called "Women Fronts for 'Fukot' Publicity." The
leading ladies of a Women's collective came charging to the GT office and I, a
humble proof reader then, perhaps would have been reduced to mince meat. Then
Editor Ashwin managed to tame them and they walked out like cool cats.
Now at a time when husband is running one NGO and wife another it should not be
"Women Fronts for 'Fukot' Publicity" it should read may be something like
"Black (or Big) Money: NGOs Lead the Way"
If the NGOs take it as a face saving challenge and submit themselves to
scrutiny 'on the funds, their use, activities, beneficiaries, presence or
absence of nepotism and cost-benefit analysis' only a few will come out clean.
And I think there will be hardly any big names in the 'a few'.
Tony Martin
An excerpt........
"But why cannot we citizens know all about the funds, their use, activities,
beneficiaries, presence or absence of nepotism and cost-benefit analysis from
all NGOs when their directors and presidents are operating on public money?"
Another Excerpt.....
"Hear what the NGO caught for supplying poisonous food to children in Vasco,
when reminded of accountability, says: It was the responsibility of the
teachers to check the quality of the meal before they served the food. Did you
hear properly? It is not the responsibility of the NGO who cooked and delivered
poisonous food but the responsibility of the teachers who served them."
----------------
Full Text..............
CASES of food poisoning from midday meals in Vasco schools have once again
brought NGO accountability question to the fore.
We now have NGOs involved in almost all activities – not only in midday meals
but also in AIDS control, waste management, environment preservation, consumer
awareness, women’s and children’s rights, planning and panchayats. In the last
few years, NGOs and local protest groups have assumed a power of doing or
undoing things in Goa. They have emerged as an important player in state’s
politics. Capitalising on low levels of popular satisfaction with the pace of
development that would make life more comfortable for them (good roads,
uninterrupted power, adequate water supply, crime control, less concretisation
around home) the NGOs have become a big force, often more powerful than the
government.
Today NGOs have stepped in to do in many areas what the government was supposed
to do. And all with government money. And money from charities across the
country and abroad. Public money collected or saved from taxes, in other words:
all in the name of people’s participation in the people’s system of government.
And what do we have to hear when we confront an NGO on their accountability?
The filthiest harangue on ‘chalis chors’ and powerful lobbies. No, you cannot
question an NGO; they are holy people; washed in sacred rivers of the Ganga and
Mhadei and blessed by angels in flowing robes. They are avatars on earth to
deliver and redeem helpless masses. Hear what the NGO caught for supplying
poisonous food to children in Vasco, when reminded of accountability, says: It
was the responsibility of the teachers to check the quality of the meal before
they served the food. Did you hear properly? It is not the responsibility of
the NGO who cooked and
delivered poisonous food but the responsibility of the teachers who served
them. NGOs are forever pointing fingers at others. They are the permanent
opposition in the state. This is to avoid facing any accountability challenge
for their own mismanagement, misappropriation, irresponsibility or criminality.
Politicians and corporates are their favourite punching bags: they are the ones
who are driving Goa into the mouth of the Apocalypse because they are forever
emptying the public treasury. But of late, NGOs have seen a silver lining in
the Right to Information Act. They do not tire applauding RTI for transparency
in governance. But ask them could RTI be applied to their NGOs’ records and
accounts and you can be sure to be mauled in the face with calumnies and filthy
missiles about chalis chors and powerful lobbies. But why cannot we citizens
know all about the funds, their use, activities, beneficiaries, presence or
absence of nepotism and cost-benefit analysis from all NGOs when their
directors and presidents are operating on public money? Transparency in NGOs is
all the more necessary today because they have assumed a much higher profile
and level of political influence than was ever previously the case. How else to
know if there are no more than
‘chalis chors’? Especially unelected ones?
We know such demand will unite the extremist type of activists and parasitical
elements in the media who both thrive incestuously on radical opportunities for
building their profiles and assets. But we cannot help warning people at large
to be wary as much of chalis chors and powerful lobbies as of non-democratic,
non-accountable ‘social workers’ and NGOs and demanding that they be subjected
to public scrutiny because they are counted among the big and powerful.
Love Cricket? Check out live scores, photos, video highlights and more.
Click here http://cricket.yahoo.com
