if you read it then refresh the following ft com and its full version a year ago india was scarred by some of the worst sectarian violence since partition when up to muslims were killed in pogroms in the western state of gujarat ostensibly sparked by an arson attack by muslims on a train that killed hindu activists human rights organisations in india the us and europe implicated two organisations in the well orchestrated attacks the vishwa hindu parishad vhp or world hindu council and its youth offshoot the bajrang dal devotees of the monkey god hanuman now a financial times investigation has established that these groups receive extensive funding from indians abroad collected mainly as tax free charity donations to front organisations in the us and the uk this fundraising is coming under increasing scrutiny so it should as should the links between these groups and india's ruling bharatiya janata party bjp behind the vhp and the bajrang dal stands a quasi paramilitary body the rashtriya swayamsevak sangh rss or association of national volunteers which is the mother organisation of the hindu revivalist bjp described by jawaharlal nehru india's first prime minister as an indian version of fascism the rss is at the centre of a protean network of front organisations this structure facilitates arm's length money raising it also makes it easier for the rss to deny it is inciting agitation against muslims and christians the rss spends heavily on welfare and religious schools but so do islamist groups in the muslim world a danger the world has woken up to such ostensibly charitable activities are one reason for the groups' success they also help pull in donations from people unaware of how some of their money is used the uk is formally investigating two rss fundraising affiliates and is considering an inquiry into the vhp the us has also started carefully scrutinising rss front organisations that probe should go ahead unimpeded by washington's ambition to develop a strategic alliance with india as a counterbalance to china's weight in asia also read financial times article full article