We bring to you a matter of grave concern on behalf of the Churches, Councils and the Organisations that we represent as the National Council of Churches in India.
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To,
The Honourable Parliamentarians
Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha.
Respected People’s representatives – Members of both houses of the Parliament,
Sub: Request to speak up against the proposed Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment (FCRA) Bill, 2026 cleared by the Union Cabinet and sought to be introduced in the Parliament in this session – reg.
1. We bring to you a matter of grave concern on behalf of the Churches, Councils and the Organisations that we represent as the National Council of Churches in India (NCCI), representing the religious aspirations of at least 48 to 49% of the counted population of Christians in India belonging to all the mainline and historic Protestant and Orthodox Christian traditions/ denominations. The Council was established in 1914, and has been serving the Churches and Christian Organisations in its Mission to the Nation since then. You will agree that the contribution of the Christian Community to Nation Building is immense.
2. The FCRA Amendment bill 2026 is sought to be introduced shortly before the Honourable members in the Parliament for, among other things, primarily creating a ‘designated authority’ for the vesting of the assets of the organisations that have for one reason or the other been denied renewal of its registration under the FCRA. This is a matter of grave concern.
3. The Act, which is sought to be amended, itself is found wanting on many counts. This has been raised in many fora, also in both houses of the Parliament. The Act does not provide scope for any opportunity to prove oneself before rejecting the application, which has been contested as being against the principle of natural justice. Appeals are routinely rejected. Furthermore, the Act renders an organisation ineligible to receive foreign funding if one or more of the Trustees have just pending litigation against them (not conviction), while the same is not a disqualification for even holding important constitutional offices.
4.
5. This being so, it fails logic and understanding as to how the assets of organisations unjustly penalised under a law that needs to be challenged, and purportedly now ‘vested’ with the Government of India, be ‘appropriated for utilisation as deemed necessary’ with such haste; albeit under not so well conceived and hurriedly put together mechanisms and processes. In the context of organisations managed by minority communities it can also be construed as violating Articles 25, 26 and 30 of the Constitution of India which provides rights to administer and manage its affairs and institutions.
6. The reduction in penalty from five to one year prison term and the exemption provided to worship places do not merit any positive acknowledgement as they put the cart before the horse and further complicate the matter, particularly with regard to social services rendered from worship spaces and vice versa, and the authority vested with power to decide the nature of the primary utilisation of the said space both with regard to its usage and the quantum of foreign contribution in case of mixed funding.
7. Most importantly, apart from the interests of the organisations that will lose their assets and funds, a consequential and lasting effect will be evidenced in the permanent denial of access to education and health, as well as to linkage with government entitlements, for people in remote locations for whom NGO services become the only last-mile connectivity to the government schemes and to the outside world. This in turn will negatively impact national building and the achievement of the National Goals and Targets of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to which the social sector has immensely contributed.
8. It will not be out of place to mention here that many of the assets (including the funds in bank accounts) that will now be utilised managed by the Government of India through the ‘designated authority’, could possibly have emanated and transferred through proper channels from the exchequers (tax money) of friendly countries for the welfare of the people of India, opening up possibilities for litigations of different proportions and loss of credibility of the jurisprudence of our respected and Honourable lawmakers.
Under the circumstances, we urge the Honourable Parliamentarians to represent the concerns herein mentioned and reject the proposed FCRA Amendment Bill 2026, and call for further study and public scrutiny through a JPC or Commission of Experts before it is introduced in the Parliament or incorporated into the Act.
We remain committed to serving the people of our dear motherland, after the manner of Jesus who gave his life for the least, the last and the lost. With or without assistance from across the borders our work to establish the rights of people falling through the gaps of ‘development’ and advocate to enhance the quality of life of the marginalised communities all over the country will remain non-negotiable.
We will continue to strive tirelessly, alongside everyone including the government agencies, to leave no stone unturned in building a strong India.
We urge your urgent attention to the matter please.
Sincerely yours,
Rev. Asir Ebenezer,
General Secretary,
For and behalf of the National Council of Churches in India.