ICC Note:
On Wednesday, the U.S. State Department expressed concern over the closure of a US-based Christian charity in India. Compassion International, a Colorado-based NGO, was unregistered by the Indian government after being accused of funding religious conversions. Since assuming power in 2014, the BJP-led government has unregistered 11,000 NGOs. Many claim the NGOs being targeted are those that disagree with the government’s Hindu nationalist platform. At the same time, Christians and other religious minorities have found their communities under increasing attack in India, with over 360 attacks on Christians being recorded by ICC in 2016 alone. 
03/10/2017 India (Pakistan Today) – The US State Department on Wednesday expressed concern over the closure of a US-based Christian charity, Compassion International, in India following accusations by the Indian government that it was funding religious conversation.
“We are concerned, when we see a group like Compassion International, which we believe is working and doing important work in India and is closed down, that it’s matter of concern, but certainly we’ll that with the Indian Government,” State Department spokesman Mark Toner said at a briefing.
According to a report, the Compassion International has denied Indian allegations, saying that the Indian government has given them no opportunity to refute the allegations. The government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been criticized by encouraging Hindutva, Hindu nationalism, which is creating sufferings for religious minorities including Muslim and Christians.
The Compassion International, which was helping thousands of children by providing them meals, medical care or tuition fee, is closing its operations after operating for 48 years in India. More than 11,000 NGOs, including foreign organizations, have lost their licenses to accept foreign funds since Prime Minister Modi took over in 2014, according to the report.
Responding to a question, Spokesman Toner said that unfortunately, a number of foreign-funded NGOs in India over the past couple of years have encountered significant challenges in continuing their operations.
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