Who is Neville Roy Singham, accused of funding Chinese propaganda
American millionaire Neville Roy Singham is back in the news over his alleged involvement with the propaganda arm of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). He has been accused of funding an Indian news portal, NewsClick, to push the Chinese narrative. The tech titan also allegedly funded shell firms in the United States (US), Brazil, and Africa to spread the propaganda.
Why does this story matter?
On Monday, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accused the Congress of colluding with China after The New York Times (NYT) published a report claiming to have uncovered a global nexus of propaganda funded by the Chinese government. The report claimed that 69-year-old Singham paid hundreds of millions of dollars to non-profit organizations worldwide that "mix progressive advocacy with Chinese government talking points."
ED raided NewsClick in 2021
In February 2021, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raided the premises of NewsClick for allegedly receiving foreign funding of Rs. 38 crore. The agency reportedly found Singham as the critical source of funding for the portal between 2018 and 2021. It is said that NewsClick allegedly pushed Chinese propaganda through its content, with one video saying, "China's history continues to inspire the working classes."
Singham founded ThoughtWorks in 1993
Singham was born on May 13, 1954, in the US. He is the son of leftist academic Archibald Singham, who was born into a Sri Lankan family in Myanmar. According to Singham's LinkedIn profile, he has a bachelor's degree in political science from Howard University and also attended Michigan University. He founded Chicago-based software consultancy ThoughtWorks in 1993 and served there till 2017.
Singham turned wife's charity into China's defender
In 2017, Singham married a former Democratic political adviser, Jodie Evans, who is the co-founder of Code Pink. The NYT reported that the left-wing non-profit charity, which was once critical of China, has turned into its defender in the recent past, allegedly due to Singham's network of funding. Singham sits in China's Shanghai, although his LinkedIn profile shows his work profile as "retired."
Singham's connections with China, India
According to the NYT, one outlet linked to Singham's network is currently co-producing a YouTube show with Shanghai's propaganda department. He has also funded a left-wing think tank, Tricontinental, whose executive director is Kolkata-born Vijay Prashad—a political commentator and nephew of Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Brinda Karat. Singham's son, Nate, is based in Brazil and works as a researcher for Tricontinental.
