NEW DELHI: Close on the heels of the serious reservations expressed by the US, Germany has commented on the crackdown on non-government agencies, stating that there should be transparency on the part of authorities as well as civil society.
“NGOs are doing impressive work in India. The country can be proud of having these NGOs. I think the fundamental approach should be to support their work. I share the view of those Indian friends and those also in the government, who say that we should support them,” German Ambassador to India Michael Steiner said on the sidelines of an event here on Thursday.
He pointed out that voluntary sector in India had been doing exemplary work, citing the work done by Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi. “
US Ambassador to India, Richard Varma had expressed concern that recent steps against NGOs could have a “potentially chilling effect”.