Source: Press Reports
KANCHIPURAM, INDIA, December 31, 2002: The Sankaracharya of the Kanchi Kamakoti Mutt recently released a book that contains guidelines for NGOs (nongovernmental organizations), many of which have faced criticism for indirectly inciting religious conversions through their development initiatives. “Government Schemes and the Role and Responsibilities of Non-Government Organizations,” published by a new NGO in the state called Aravind Foundation, subtly conveyed the message that development NGOs should reassess their roles. H.H. Sri Jayendra Saraswathi’s blessings for the book comes after his praise for Tamil Nadu’s law to ban forcible religious conversions. The Sankaracharya said he released the book in an effort to help hasten rural economic development. Eradicating poverty was the best way to ensure honesty, he said. His Holiness’s remarks are significant, coming as they do when many NGOs are facing charges of packaging their development initiatives with an eye on religious conversions.