The killing fields of Gujarat seem a world away from the NRI utopias increasingly depicted by Bollywood films like Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham. But the two are intimately linked. Gujarat is the trial lab of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad's Hindutva experiment, and non-resident Indians, the largest number of whom have roots in Gujarat, are widely believed to be its primary funders.

"Ramjanmabhoomi has been an NRI-financed movement from the start," says political psychologist Ashis Nandy, who has written extensively on the subject. The VHP has branches in 20 foreign countries, and affiliates in 50 nations across the world. In the USA, VHP America has been a registered tax-exempt, non-profit charitable organization since 1974, long before the birth of the BJP. Since then, it has raised $2.5 million (or roughly Rs 11.75 crore) for various social service activities in India, from Gujarat earthquake relief to support for families of Sikhs massacred in Kashmir. The organization claims to have 10,000 members. It's youth wing, the Hindu Students Council - which runs Hindu summer camps, etc - claims a strength of 50,000. Given that life membership to VHP America costs $1,000 (or Rs 47,000), and the VHP neither has offices nor paid staff in the USA, the question is where does the money go? Not to India, assert VHP officials. "We don't take foreign funds," says Balkrishna Naik, VHP's international division joint-secretary in Delhi..

The VHP, along with the Bajrang Dal, are registered in India as charitable organizations. Since both conduct political activities, they must clear all foreign donations through the Home Ministry under the Foreign Contributions Regulation Act. Yet, MHA's Foreigner Division director Sanjay Dutta states that neither VHP nor the Bajrang Dal has ever applied for FCRA clearance. According to the government, the VHP has not received one paisa of foreign aid. Instead, money raised abroad, says Naik, is sent to subsidiary Sangh Parivar NGOs such as Bharat Kalyan Pratisthan, Sewa Bharati, and others, which have FCRA clearance. There have been allegations that funds earmarked for charitable purposes are then diverted back to VHP for other activities.. In 1999, Congress leader, Kapil Sibal alleged that in 1997-98, of the Rs 2.70 crore raised by VHP, only Rs 10,101 was spent on charitable purposes. Sibal demanded a government investigation into VHP finances. No investigation took place.

As charitable organizations, both VHP and Bajrang Dal are required to provide an account of funds raised and total expenses to the Income Tax department. Independent sources reveal that in recent years, the Bajrang Dal has reported it has raised no funds at all. Some also believe that VHP also under-reports it's annual total inflow of funds.

Yet, there appears to be no political will to investigate accounting irregularities.