Beyond Headlines An attempt to 'report a cause aright'
Afroz Alam Sahil and S.Z. Saleem
New Delhi: The recent hue and cry raised about the “foreign hand” in the Anna Hazare-led ‘mass’ movement seems to have got answers in reply to a query filed by BeyondHeadlines under the Right to Information (RTI) to Manish Sisodia’s brainchild Kabir. Kabir had revealed that it had received funding from various sources, including the controversial Michigan (United States)-based Ford Foundation.
Social activists Kiran Bedi, Swami Agnivesh and Manish Sisodia addressing the media. (Photo Source: Jagran.com)
It may be recalled that the Congress party has questioned US unusual and unexpected stand on the ongoing anti-graft movement in India. Also the Ford Foundation allegedly has links with the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
In reply to an RTI query that questioned the funding and expenditure of Kabir, the organisation has disclosed that they have received funds from the Ford Foundation (Rs 86,61,742), PRIA (Rs 2,37,035), Manjunath Shanmugam Trust (Rs 3,70,000), Dutch Embassy (Rs 19,61,968), Association for India’s Development (Rs 15,00,000), India’s friends Association (Rs 7,86,500), United Nationals Development Programme (Rs12,52,742) while Rs 11,35,857 were collected from individual donations between 2007 to 2010.
Interestingly, a major part of the funding to an organisation that is prominent in the “War against corruption” has come from abroad and mainly from the United States. Apar from the UNDP, Ford Foundation and the India Friends Association are US-based organisations, while PRIA and Association for India’s Development are headquartered in Asia.
The funding of the anti-graft movement has gained prominence after the exhorbitant amounts being spent on campaigning for the movement in the form of bulk SMSs, t-shirts, caps, flags and the other means adopted by the civil society activists, demanding their own version of the Lokpal Bill.
Niece work …. thanx ford foundation that you have funded for a movement against corruption.
What the hell are u speaking about? Its great for u that the movement was funded by ford? Its a trap, can’t u even understand? I had a lot of belief on Anna and even I participated in the movement, but now I feel he is a traitor!
dont fall in any trap.. all this could be fake as congress is totaly pissed off now. diveded we fall united we rule. keep faith in anna and kejriwal.
This type of report creates confusion about Anna and his team’s fight against corruption. Every person should think that If Anna is a Gandhian why Anna and team never said anything about the massacre of Muslims in Gujarat and arrest of innocents Muslim on different occasion.
coz its more in mind, planted by the super-secular media than a reality. The reality is that there was deliberate attempt to burn pilgrims live in a train by “innocent” muslims who champion killing across the world. Please bear in mind that there are many issues to be addressed and its high time when you should come out of your shell. Else you will remain a madarasa trained moron who can only be killing machine.
@ Rai: Stop commenting without knowing any facts get a reality check…
as for you commenting on madarsas let me tell you that you should be thankful to the madarsas because you owe the use of computers to them. There is no modern physics & mathematics without algebra & no computers without algorithm. Father of both algebra & algorithm was Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi (780-850 AD),both algorithm & algorismi are derived from the latinized forms of al-khwarizmi’s name itself, and for your comment on muslims being killing machines then do watch this link you will come to know the truth:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hW_T5ELSLS8&feature=related
sorry mr aamir, pls go to any good library, read works of ancient indian sages, their philosophy and also of aryabhatta.father of algebra 499AD..
Read this book: Science in Medieval World: Book of the Categories of Nations by Said Al- Andalusi, et al. This was written by a Spanish around year 1038 when Spain was a muslim country. I have pointed you the translated version in english published University of Texas at Austin press. Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi (780-850 AD) is mentioned in this book and specifically written that he got it from India and passed on to Spain. Now if you can’t look beyond then that’s your madrsa problem. Since anyway you guye believe world started around 2000 BC.
Rai,if Shibli is product of Madarsa,you are a product of RSS Shaka.Anna’s movement,a stunt his Gruru was known for,funding by a American based foundations itself raises questions and begs answers. US based MNCs are well known for bribing officials whereever they set in their feet to start a business.What Robeka Park,CEO of Enron,now defunct said in an interview in india and testified before Senate’s House Committee, confirms our concerns and fears about Anna’s stunt,supported by corrupt media.She said that we(Enron)paid 20 million US$ to educate Indian politicians.Now Ford foundation and some other oeganizations are funding to educate Indian Social Activists.
why did u not ask anna to say about the burning of the train n ramsevaks. did u urged anybody to protest against that crime n that community?
Anna is not a mulla in Masjit that he will talk about religious things …
He is concerned about Corruption coz common people are suffering !!
try to keep religion out of the movement !!
@akshay . You are right… Do not drift the core subject from corruption to racism…!!!. …One who is doing that are championing the riots taking place in the name of religion …
Before you ask about massacre of Muslims in GUjarat … talk about the Godhra Carnage …. where Hindus were burnt alive.
Very nice question sir.Peoples should see their true color.
Love that comment!
Reposting this. Saw the same issue brought up in Arundhati Roy’s article. Absolutely baseless accusation.
“Arvind Kejriwal’s foundation is the PCRF. They have received no donation from Ford. Their balance sheets are available on their website for public inspection. Have a look at all the money this foundation has.
Arvind started this foundation with 14 lakhs, the money he got with his Magsaysay Award. He used it for public cause and to support RTI in India.
The PCRF maintains complete accounts for the present anti-corruption movement too. Details of all incoming donations are available on the website of India Against Corruption, and expenses are detailed too. You should have a look at that.
The amount Kabir has received as donation from Ford is $200,00 and not $400,000 as you claimed. This is verifyable form the website of the ford foundation (http://www.fordfoundation.org/grants/search). You could have done well to note that this donation has nothing to do with the present movement, but you did not. I will do this for you here. This donation was made in 2011 to Kabir to promote the use of RTI in India, and not to support the India against corruption movement.”
Just few clarifications: Arvind Kejriwal is in the Governing Body of kabir (http://www.kabir.org.in/content/governingbody.htm).
The story filed was based on written reply by Kabir itself. It seems u wrote the comment without reading full text of the story. BH used the data from the written reply and so we mentioned the money received in Rupees and not dollars. $400,000 was mentioned by Arundhati Roy to which Kabir clarified.
Similarly Manish Sisodia is also in the PCRF team. (http://www.pcrf.in/aboutus.html)
India Against Corruption is a project of PCRF. They share the same office.
Thankyou for sharing important and useful information on the issue Akanksha!
I think you should make use of the power of Google before making such comments. Mr Kejriwal founded Kabir along with Mannish Sisodia and they have recieved grants of 380000 US $. Here are the links madam.I,m not trying to claim that they should not accept funds or grants. But proponents of transparency in public life should practice what they preach.
The links below:
http://www.fordfoundation.org/grants/grantdetails?grantid=9374
http://www.fordfoundation.org/grants/grantdetails?grantid=4774
This is a FAKE news and below are the reasons for this being a FAKE news-
1) A country like US will never want to end corruption in India because that is something which is helping them.
2) Goverment is trying to find a single negative point against team anna, so that they may publish it in media and destory the enormus public support
3) Economies of many western countries like Swiss runs on thier banks…..and major part of the money deposited in thier bank is from India….why would they want to end it
This type of Fake news creates confusion about Team Anna’s fight against corruption.
Ankit, there is only one answer for all of your point, that even though this appears to be a war against corruption, the micro-level demands that common man cannot analyze beyond visible criminals and visible punishment, are indeed such that they will increase and institutionalize the corruption itself (due to power centric approach), leave alone reducing up to 60 % or even 10%. What is more important is that the demands have ensured that the basic structure of the democracy is well shaken (requires major changes to the constitution) and the new authority not only dictates all the terms (is above sovereign state and judiciary) but falls directly into the hands of local elites and foreign elements (the insane foreign awards based selection method). I cannot explain each one of the demands at micro-level here and it would be better if reader tries to do an internet search to find the analysis on their own and compare them with the paltry justifications of kejriwal and bhushans.
@Rahul , brilliant.
Ankit,you are absolutely right.Anna’s stunt is not about eradication of corruption.Anna is just a mascot and real actors are behind the curtains,publicity hungry elites,celeberaties to express their solidarity with a foreign funded(and invisibly directed)movement with a more sinister moves.All so-called democracies are gradually metamorphosing into police states,curtailing individual freedom and liberty,slashing individual rights.To acheive that false flag terror attacks were carried out to instill fear in citizen’s mind that a state with more powers to its brutal organs,police and army,can protect them from terror attacks.This movement aims at creation of an authority which is totalitarian.Jan Lokpal is the begining.
Good. Go and hand it to Manish Tiwari and Digivjay singhs. BTW, are you related to Bhukari or Ahmed Patel. Arundhati Roy used the same info, and now you are adding some more spice to it. Good Luck. Work on the next one.
@ Sachin
Lol…You seem to love getting whacked with Annas belt…sick pervert BDSM fan
whats wrong in people or any organization funding a movement against corruption.? It is not illegal and hence it is not unconstitutional or undemocratic…it is still a legit and valid war against corruption.
Now, can we know who funds the Joshua Project-2 ? Dilip DSouza is quiet . Why ?
its not even 0.00000000000001 % of what this government has looted, we know that government is powerful and rich but truth is what will win even in this KALYUG
Thanks Ford Foundation, UNDP etc for funding for the cause to eliminate corruption. Your funding in development and in case of emergency is praise worthy. Good that INGOs are still alive !
Yes the skeletons are tumbling out. This movement is run exclusively by Magsaysay rewardees (sorry awards) who run dubious NGO’s like Kejriwal most of which is not audited that is why this sleeper cell of Trilateral Commission of the Bilderberger Grouping feels a few 100 dubious NGO’s like his under Lokpal makes it unmanageable but not a few million Babus. Goats who go to Ramlila wake up. This movement started by Baba Ramdev a votary against the Coke-Pizza mafia of the MNC’s is no doubt funded by the yankee crooks
@Nar niradar,,,how deep and asssociated are you in c********n. ..more specifically whose goat or i can say D****y are you?Wake up from your bed first…and wipe your blurry eyes ..and if you dont have confidence and trust in some cause, atleast dont try to spread negativity…
The last sentence must have read: This anti corruption movement started by Baba Ramdev a votary against the Coke-Pizza mafia of the MNC’s, but hijacked by AH funded by the yankee crooks is to ensure that Baba ramdev does not become popular and a butreaucratic Lokpal ensures Bhopal tragedies are never pinned on MNC’s
Please ask the Central Government how much money it has recieved from Ford Foundation, USAID, etc …..If NGOs get money then it becomes an issue…And if that money is being spent on the war against corruption what is bad about it….how much money govt has wasted in the name of war against corruption…CVC…CAG….etc etc
Yes I flly agree with this.. who Anna episode was drama to ensure issues raised Baba Ramdev
Makes some sense with all the drama unfolding in the past ten days. Also why news readers in English Channels took on the role of playing ‘Indignant Indians Against Corrupt Government of India’ and ‘Anna Hazare is the messiah’ instead of news reporting.Some notable mentions of really bad acting – Rajdeep Sardesai of CNN-IBN, Arunab Goswami of Times Now who were overplaying the role literally frothing at the mouth. These Americans’ Loyalists/Corporate Czars’ Chellas/Whatever who look down at the Saas Bahu serials really need to take a crash course in acting from the actors of Saas Bahu serials. Kindly do not underestimate the ‘observation intelligence’ of the viewers.
As for the the anguish and frustration of the ignorant and vulnerable citizens of Indians to be assuaged ….only time will tell.
It’s not about ending corruption my dear friends it’s all about creating instability in a country.
u got incomplete information you and your type of peoples are creating gaps in India u can check Kabir website http://www.kabir.org.in to update your information
Excess intelligentsia always ruins the mind so pls for god sake think from heart not mind as it is already corrupt. Even if this hype is created by media we should give credit to them for at least not showing sansani and unkahni khania and motivate public for noble cause. What’s wrong if ford org has funded the movement and it has linkage with CIA. do’t we know that Indian Govt is dealing on all sort of matters with US GOVT and the CIA is legitimate agency of US Govt. Do’t fall in trap of politicians this time they have tried to divide us in middle and lower class. So called intellectuals should change attitude to suspect every thing.
Nehru dynasty after failed to prove them as potential rulers of India, conspired to exploit the mass-psychology of Indians, by recreating image of Gandhi as created falsely using media in early 20th cent. & whenever a member of Nehru dynasty lacks political power. It is hacking world biggest democracy by misusing national resources. Read Dr BR Ambedkar’s book – “What Congress and Gandhi have done to the Untouchables”
Caste and corruption are NOT mutually exclusive in India.
BC/SC/ST/Minority communities should stay away from this Lokpal crap/trap/scam.
90% of black/corrupt/illegal money is with the Forward caste.
2011
Black Money in Swiss Banks = $1.4 trillion (FC)
Hasan Ali Khan = $8 billion (MC)
ISRO-Devas = $300 million (FC)
Cash-for-votes = $715,000 (FC)
2010
2G spectrum scam and Radia Tapes Controversy = $6.9 billion (BC)
Adarsh Housing Society (FC)
Commonwealth Games = $15.5 billion (FC)
LIC Housing loan scam = $200 million (FC)
Belekeri port = $12 billion (FC)
Lavasa = $80 million (FC)
Uttar Pradesh Food Grain = $44 billion (FC)
APIIIC = $2 billion (FC)
IPL Cricket = $8 billion (FC)
2009
Madhu Koda = $800 million (SC)
2008
Satyam = $1 billion (FC)
2006
Scorpene Deal = $10 million (FC)
2005
Oil-for-food programme (Natwar Singh) = $10 billion (FC)
2004
Gegong Apang PDS = $200 million (ST)
2003
Taj corridor = $44 million (SC)
2002
Kargil Coffin (FC)
2001
Ketan Parekh = $200 million (FC)
Barak Missile = $200 million (FC)
Calcutta Stock Exchange = $2 million (FC)
1997
Sukh Ram = $5 million (FC)
SNC Lavalin = $10 million (FC)
Advani Hawala = $18 million (FC)
1996
Bihar fodder = $211 million (BC)
C R Bhansali = $200 million (FC)
1995
Telgi scam = $4.46 billion (MC)
1992
Harshad Mehta = $800 million (FC)
1989
Bofors = $400 million (FC)
1971
Nagarwala = $1 million (FC)
Haridas Mundhra = $10 million (FC)
Sorry, a corrupt has no cast or religion, he/she is simply corrupt.
We are all funding this movement with our time and money. In this movement money is immaterial. This is people’s movement started from the grassroot and every Indian is involved. We want to stop corruption and kick the corrupts out.
Same logic…funding received by Al Qaida is also legit ..its must be peoples movement after all since they are able to motivate people to blow themselves up. Will any AnnaZombies do that , maybe under the influence of free alcohol, Rajma Chawal and poori bhaji
I think Arundhati Roy is right Kabir got two tranches of fund one in 2008 and another this year (I can send you the PDF of the Ford Website
Kabir
2008
$197,000
2011
$200,000
for
Promoting
Transparent,
Effective and
Accountable
Government
Network
Building and
Convening
Sisodias of the world only tell you half truth … go to http://www.fordfoundation.org/grants/search in the search field type Kabir & then look to the left hand side and tick INCLUDE NON-INITIATIVE GRANTS
And then see the fun. Also check out Kabir website and see their accounts they did not tell you source of their funds http://www.kabir.org.in/content/documents/2008-09.pdf
If you’re really concerned about corruption, take your share of land for your caste/community from India and build your own nation.
The Sonia government recently chose some French defense equipment over American. There might have been other instances also of such non-accommodation of American interests. Awaaz.org might have then been asked to look into India.
Those that oppose Manmohan Singh’s appeasement of the Anna thing might consider these facts. If he had not stooped to conquer, we might even have had an Egypt, Syria or Libya here soon. And the BJP would have played along.
These American MNC games might soon be imitated by the Chinese within the USA since the PRC has lots of stakes there now, “for all who draw the sword will die by the sword.”
What saddens one is that it is all one foreign agency playing against another on Indian soil. They find mercenaries in here easily.
It is ironical and intriguing both that an American corporation, which faced corruption charges in the country of its origin,is funding an anti-corruption movement in a distant land.Have we forgotten what Ms.Park,CEO of defunct Enron said in a Congressional hearing that we(Enron) paid 20 million US$ to educate Indian politicians?Late Daniel Patrick Moynihan,a well known American intellectual,academic and diplomat wrote that Congress received funds from CIA to topple first elected communist government in Kerala.In Chile ATNT financed anti government forces to overthrow elected government of Allende.This movement is not against corruption,as our gutter media wants us to believe,but for a different and hidden global agenda.Corruption has permeated every section of the society,is an accepted way of life like caste discrimanation and dowry.But it can never be done away with by appointment of an ombdusman to oversee and ensure a corruption free administration. Members of Anna team of crusaders against corruption reminds me of a slogan painted on the back of a truck:”Dus mein nau beman,phir bhi Bharat(now read Anna movement)mahan”.
After collecting crores from the public, why the Anna Team still fight shy to publish their accounts
Read more: http://exitopinionpollsindia.blogspot.com/2011/08/breaking-after-collecting-crores-from.html?spref=tw
जिस अन्ना जी को हमारे मीडिया ने ७४ साल की उम्र में दुनिया के सामने दुसरे गाँधी के रूप में प्रस्तुत किया जबकि एसे बहुतलोग है जिन्होंने पूरा पूरा जीबन ही देश सेवा में लागा दिया लेकिन उनका कोई इतिहाश ही नहीं बनता जेसे दिनेश यादव जिसने अपनी जान तक गंबा दी लेकिन किसी ने उसके योग दान को प्रमाणित करने की हिम्मत नहीं की एक सरकारी अधिकारी ने तीन साल तक आन्ना के साथ कामकिया बह मेरे मित्र है मुझे एक मीटिंग में मिले नाम नहीं बताऊंगा बह कह रहे थे हम आन्ना जी को फस ना चाहे फसा सकते है सरकार ने जिस काम को उन्हें पैसा दिया बह उन्हने नहीं किया बार बार फंड ट्रांसफर किया गया पैसा दुसरे काम में खर्च किया गया कहने का मतलब हे मीडिया ने आन्ना को जिस प्रकाश दूसरा गाँधी बना दिया बह जब चाहे किसी को आस मान पर बेडा दे या जब चाहे मिटटी में मिला दे यह उसका अपना छुपा हुआ अजेंडा है आज आम जनता को छोटे छोटे अखबारों की खबर पर बिसबास करना चाहिय जय विकसित भारत
pls write in english.this is a national forum
It proves now that US is trying to control India through these funding. No wonder Jan lokpal bill wants the noble laureate and Magsaysay winner’s to decide who should be the lokpal waooooooooo
So what who funded anticorruption movement? Burning of train, killing of innocent Hindus&Muslims, or who thought of idea of zero or decimal point etc.,
Main point is all Indians need to tackle corruption and blackmoney issue head on. Alternative is like big black cat politicians will eat all by taking each slice.
we as a federal nation do have an institution as constitution which is itself not maligned.of all the many things it talks about checks and balances among the judiciary legislature and executive. now with the lokpal there will be no balance of power, and the supreme court cannot have a check on lokpal. (read draft of the jan lokpal bill). i will ask in this scenario one simple question, In the ambit of pursuing eradication of corruption, are we not inviting a dictator in the disguise of investigator?what will happen to the lokpal if he/she becomes corrupt one day( ex taking bribe)?democratically elected parliament is still better than a policy making non answerable body with discretionary powers.
would like comments on this from all the readers, but before commenting pls read the constitution, jan lokpal bill draft, and the existing anti corruption act which covers the prime minister.yes!!
Anjali Damania is a land shark who is using IAC platform to get even with Nitin Gadkari, who refused to help he save her land from getting submerged in the proposed dam in Maharashtra. She is just a vested interest who is exposed now.
Niece work …. thanx ford foundation that you have funded for a movement against corruption.