THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Latin Archdiocese of Thiruvananthapuram, which is leading the protest against the Vizhinjam seaport project, has denied allegations that an NGO run by a social activist had collected foreign funds on behalf of the protesters. Theodacious D’Cruz, a priest and convenor of the protest, slammed the media reports as a ploy to belittle protest by coastal community for their life and livelihood.
“The allegation that the NGO had collected funds for the last 10 years had come at a time when the protest has completed 100 days. I challenge those who are raising the allegation to prove the link between the fund collection and the protest,” he said. He was responding to the allegation that Aleyamma Vijayan, who is the secretary of Sakhi Women’s Resource Centre, received funds for the ongoing coastal protest. She is the wife of A J Vijayan, a trade union leader and a petitioner in the National Green Tribunal against the port project.
Aleyamma has filed a defamation suit against the news channel that carried the controversial news. In the petition, she said the organisation has been working in human rights since 1996 in Thiruvananthapuram. It is registered as a Public Charitable Trust with a Foreign Contribution Regulation Act registration to receive funds. “Sakhi’s activities are very transparent. Since it is a registered body under the Indian Trust Act, its income has been audited every year and its income tax returns have been filed promptly,” said Aleyamma in the petition.
She also said Sakhi had received foreign funds for the implementation of the projects done by them and not for the cause of fish workers at Vizhinjam as alleged. The organisation has not accepted funds after Covid as they could not conduct field studies. She demanded the channel to tender an apology or pay Rs 1 crore in damages.