Dear Editor,
By now your readers are aware of the vilification campaign launched against the IDRF, a social organization doing a splendid job in the social field.
What surprises me is that instead of verifying the facts, the donors suspended the funds to IDRF, thus denying help to people who are really in need, Yet, the mud-stingers donI have any alternate system to help those hapless people.
Now, friends of the IDRF have come out with a report, which I hope you will publish in the interest of objective journalism (IW, Mar. 14).
Ravindra Sangwai
Via E-mail
Dear Editor,
I read the articles about the Campaign to Stop
Funding Hate's accusations against the IDRF, but was not sure on how
much gravity they contained. But now, after going through the Web sites
containing the IDRF’s point of view (I-W, Mar. 7), 1 feel all these
accusations were highly politically motivated and the contents were
just hollow accusations by some vested interests, especially the
communist party.
I feel they should have settled their competition during the ballot and not taken it up on an underdog nongovernmental organization like IDRF.
Abhilash Ramachandran
Via E-mail
Dear Editor,
As a physician in California, I have been fortunate enough to work with IDRF in the past and have personally witnessed that the organization consists of many hard working volunteers who work selflessly. There is no connection between the organization and any divisiveness or hate (I-W, Dec. 13).
Please reconsider funding the organization, as it is one of the few non-profit organizations which donates nearly all of the funds back to poor people in India who need help. There are many reasons to continue funding the organization. Please see http://www.letindiadevelop.org/thereport.
Dr. Anil Tiwari
University of California
Irvine, Calif.
Dear Editor,
I just wanted to update you about the negative information published against the India Development and Relief Fund recently. I don't see any credibility in this information. It seems to me that some of the organizations want to discredit the constructive work done by IDRF in the name of terrorism. There must be some motive behind these organizations against IDRF.
A group called Friends of India has just published a report that vindicates the IDRF against these allegations J-W, Mar. 7). Sabrang and the Forum of Indian Leftists have no heart for those in India who may suffer if IDRF funding is choked off. It is about time someone does a study on the funding and fund disbursement of anti-India/Hindu groups such as Sabrang, EKTA, Coalition Against Communalism, Friends of South Asia, and Indians for Collective Action.
Arun Sharma
Via E-mail
Dear Editor,
I forward herewith the letter I sent to the officers of Cisco and Sun who fell prey to the report by some leftist groups against the IDRF in particular and Hindus and Indians in general (I-W, Dec. 13) which was published in many newspapers. It is as follows:
"From recent newspaper reports, I understand that your corporation has fallen prey to the
IDRF and have also visited India to service projects that have benefited from the funds provided by IDRF
'It was very shocking to read the newspaper reports because I had first-hand witnessed the good work being done by IDRF back in Bharat. It was difficult to judge the motive of these anti-India people initially but after reading the detailed report by IDRF and other organizations like h-VK and FOI, it is clear that these are basically anti-Hindu and anti-India forces and as they are failing in India, they are trying to discredit the good work done by nationalist NGO in India in western media ... It is not that the good work will stop for want of money that your companies had supported, but the fact is that by your action, you are giving credibility to the anti-India reports and people.
"As a concerned Indian and humanitarian, I urge you to kindly review your decisions and make sure that you don't fall prey to this anti-India propaganda."
Arun Kankani
Via E-mail
.