Indian Authorities Raid Home of Environmental Activist Over Anti-Fossil Fuel Campaign, Accusing Him of Undermining National Interest
A raid was conducted by Indian authorities on the home of prominent environmental activist Harjeet Singh, co-founder of Satat Sampada (Nature Forever), as part of an investigation into foreign funding received by climate campaign groups. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) claims that Singh and his wife Jyoti Awasthi were paid nearly £500,000 to advocate for a fossil fuel non-proliferation treaty (FFNPT), which could potentially expose India to international challenges and compromise its energy security.
According to the ED, Singh's campaigning for the FFNPT was seen as undermining the national interest, despite having the support of 17 national governments, the World Health Organization, and a constellation of civil society figures. The agency also claimed that Singh had been running Satat Sampada as a front for foreign funding, channelling funds to promote the FFNPT cause in India.
However, Singh and Awasthi have denied the allegations, stating that they started Satat Sampada with their own savings and loans secured on their home in 2016. They claim that the organisation's consultancy services grew in 2021 after Singh left his full-time employment to focus more on its work, and that the payments from campaign groups were for legitimate services rendered.
The ED is also investigating trips made by Singh to Pakistan and Bangladesh last year, including how they were funded. The agency has accused Singh of misdeclaration and misrepresentation of the nature and purpose of the foreign funds received by Satat Sampada.
As tensions rise against environmental activists in India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's regime, many are watching with concern as civil society organisations face severe pressures, with nearly 17,000 licences to receive foreign funding suspended. Singh is a familiar figure at climate negotiations, having worked for over two decades with international NGOs and climate campaigns, including ActionAid and the Climate Action Network.
The raid on Singh's home has sparked outrage among environmental activists and human rights groups, who argue that the allegations against him are baseless and aimed at silencing critics of fossil fuel policies.
A raid was conducted by Indian authorities on the home of prominent environmental activist Harjeet Singh, co-founder of Satat Sampada (Nature Forever), as part of an investigation into foreign funding received by climate campaign groups. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) claims that Singh and his wife Jyoti Awasthi were paid nearly £500,000 to advocate for a fossil fuel non-proliferation treaty (FFNPT), which could potentially expose India to international challenges and compromise its energy security.
According to the ED, Singh's campaigning for the FFNPT was seen as undermining the national interest, despite having the support of 17 national governments, the World Health Organization, and a constellation of civil society figures. The agency also claimed that Singh had been running Satat Sampada as a front for foreign funding, channelling funds to promote the FFNPT cause in India.
However, Singh and Awasthi have denied the allegations, stating that they started Satat Sampada with their own savings and loans secured on their home in 2016. They claim that the organisation's consultancy services grew in 2021 after Singh left his full-time employment to focus more on its work, and that the payments from campaign groups were for legitimate services rendered.
The ED is also investigating trips made by Singh to Pakistan and Bangladesh last year, including how they were funded. The agency has accused Singh of misdeclaration and misrepresentation of the nature and purpose of the foreign funds received by Satat Sampada.
As tensions rise against environmental activists in India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's regime, many are watching with concern as civil society organisations face severe pressures, with nearly 17,000 licences to receive foreign funding suspended. Singh is a familiar figure at climate negotiations, having worked for over two decades with international NGOs and climate campaigns, including ActionAid and the Climate Action Network.
The raid on Singh's home has sparked outrage among environmental activists and human rights groups, who argue that the allegations against him are baseless and aimed at silencing critics of fossil fuel policies.
so what's next, get a warrant to check my email for "subversive" thoughts on climate change too? I mean, come on, £500k is like, chump change to these fossil fuel giants. Anyone who dares to question their interests gets a 'raid' on their home... sounds like some kind of scene from a dystopian thriller 
. And what's with the "undermining national interest" spin? Does that mean we're all just supposed to sit back and let Big Oil do whatever they want without question? 
. Like, I know he's a climate activist and all, but this is getting super serious. The fact that they're accusing him of undermining the national interest just because he's fighting for something he believes in is wild 
. I mean, shouldn't we be encouraging people to speak out about issues like climate change? It feels like the government is trying to silence anyone who dares to challenge their fossil fuel policies 
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. He's not just some foreign-funded activist trying to disrupt India's energy security; he's actually a climate expert who's been working on this issue for years 
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. Like, what does it have to do with his work? It feels like they're just trying to discredit him and silence him before he can make a difference 
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This is soooo not right! The way India is treating Harjeet Singh is totally unacceptable 
. I mean, who needs £500k to spread awareness about climate change? And it's not like he's asking for a handout from abroad, he's just trying to protect the planet 
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. I mean, didn't India used to be all about sustainable development and green initiatives?
. If India can do this to one person, what's next? Is everyone going to get raided over their activism? It's totally chilling me out 
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. We need more voices like Harjeet Singh speaking up about climate change, not less 
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. And btw, 17 national governments and WHO support him, so who's really undermining India's interest here? 
. It's getting scary for environmental activists in India, and I hope Singh gets his life back to normal soon 
i hope satat sampada keeps fightin for whats right cuz thats what we need more of - people standin up for the earth 
anyway i think its crazy that the government is targeting someone just for speaking out about climate change. Harjeet Singh sounds like a total hero to me 
I mean who wouldn't want to help reduce carbon emissions and protect the planet? it's wild how powerful corporations can get away with polluting our air and water, but one little environmental activist gets raided by the authorities...that's just not right 
. 500k is a lot of money and if they cant even prove anything, then whats the point? 
This is some serious nonsense.
. As the ED continues to investigate and silence activists like Singh, it's clear that dissenting voices are being systematically erased 
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. It also doesn't make sense that he'd be accused of misrepresenting funds when his organization started with his own savings and loans 
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This is just a classic case of governments trying to silence critics and stifle dissenting voices.
. Can't they see that taking action against climate change benefits everyone, not just corporations making a profit? 
What's going on with our so-called 'leaders'?! 
We need more voices, not less. This is what happens when you try to silence dissenting opinions - chaos ensues.