UNITED STATES, February 26, 2003: The following statement is issued by the India Development and Relief Fund regarding allegations their funding strategy is designed to encourage hatred and dissension between India’s religious groups. “On November 20, 2002, Sabrang Communications and the Forum of Indian Leftists released a report titled, ‘The Foreign Exchange of Hate’ asserting that the India Development and Relief Fund (IDRF) is involved in funding hate because IDRF has sent money to RSS-affiliated NGOs in India that aid the poor and the underprivileged. The FEH report presents no evidence that IDRF has done anything other than what it advertises: funding socioeconomic development projects, and relief and rehabilitation during times of natural disasters and wars. There is no evidence presented in the FEH report that the funding by IDRF has been unaccounted for or misspent. IDRF-funded projects are exemplary in their simple efficiency and cost-effectiveness, and in their non-discriminatory approach. Houses have been built for Muslims, and aid has been directed through IDRF to a church-run hospital. The FEH report is a political manifesto that seeks to divide the Indian-American community based on their religious and political affiliations, and seeks to demonize groups rather than build bridges between the Diasporic Indian groups.” For the complete report click “source” above.
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