Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma on Sunday said the state government has urged the Centre to refer the proposed Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act amendment Bill to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) to allow wider consultation with stakeholders before the legislation is finalised.
The proposed amendments seek to tighten regulation of organisations receiving foreign contributions and provide for the creation of a designated authority with powers to take over, manage or dispose of assets of non-profit organisations whose FCRA registration expires, is not renewed, suspended or cancelled.
The proposed provisions have triggered concern in Christian-majority Mizoram, where churches and civil society organisations fear that foreign-funded properties and institutions could come under government control if their FCRA licences are cancelled.
Lalduhoma said he recently met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi along with representatives of two apex church bodies, the Mizoram Kohhran Hruaitute Committee and the Council of Churches in Mizoram. The delegation placed its concerns and suggestions regarding the proposed legislation before Shah and also submitted a memorandum to the Union Home Ministry.
Making a fresh appeal for parliamentary scrutiny, Lalduhoma said referring the Bill to a JPC would provide an opportunity for concerns and suggestions from different parts of the country and from various stakeholders to be examined before the legislation is passed.
“In the spirit of democratic consultation, we respectfully appeal to the Union government to refer the Bill to a Joint Parliamentary Committee,” Lalduhoma said in a social media post. He expressed hope that the Centre would consider the request in the larger interest of inclusive, transparent and consultative policymaking.
The contentious Bill is expected to be taken up for discussion and passage in Parliament on August 12, although Lalduhoma had earlier said that the proposed provisions would not be applied retrospectively.
The Council of Churches in Mizoram, a conglomerate of nine major churches including the Presbyterian Church of India and the Baptist Church of Mizoram, has announced a protest rally in Aizawl on August 11. According to CCM president Rev Dr Lalbiakliana, the march will begin simultaneously from Zarkawt and Sikulpuikawn, with participants converging outside Vanapa Hall for a public programme.
The church body has particularly objected to provisions that could allow authorities to confiscate properties, land and other assets acquired through foreign funding if an organisation’s FCRA licence is cancelled. It has also raised objections to the proposed designated authority, arguing that it could receive sweeping powers to seize and dispose of the assets of churches and NGOs without prior court approval or judicial oversight.
In Meghalaya, senior BJP leader and MLA A.L. Hek has also expressed concern over the proposed amendments, saying verbal assurances regarding their implementation would not be sufficient and must be backed by clear legal provisions and fair enforcement.
Hek said the assurance that the proposed provisions would not be applied retrospectively was welcome, but argued that the larger question was whether the amended law would strike a proper balance between regulating foreign contributions and protecting the constitutional freedoms of charitable and religious institutions.
He said he had no objection to transparency and accountability for organisations receiving foreign funds, but stressed that the legislation should take into account the longstanding contribution of NGOs, missionary organisations and Christian institutions running schools, hospitals, old-age homes, leprosy centres and other social services, particularly in remote and tribal areas.
“The Christian community is not looking for assurances alone,” Hek said, emphasising the need for legal clarity and uniform, non-discriminatory implementation. He said confidence in the system would ultimately depend on the wording of the law and how it is enforced.
Hek also rejected suggestions that raising concerns about the Bill amounted to opposing his own party or the government. He said internal discussion was healthy in a democracy and could help improve legislation before it became law.
The Meghalaya legislator said he had written several letters and repeatedly contacted the Union Home Minister’s office seeking a discussion but had not received a positive response so far. He also said he had conveyed his concerns in writing to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, with the Prime Minister’s Office acknowledging receipt of his representation.
Leader of the Opposition Mukul Sangma has also urged the Centre to consider the concerns being raised across the country, warning that the proposed amendments in their present form could have far-reaching consequences for organisations providing education, healthcare and other essential services.
Sangma said the implications would not be limited to Meghalaya and could affect organisations engaged in welfare and social service activities across the country, particularly institutions associated with minority communities that have operated for decades.
He pointed out that several institutions in Meghalaya that have served the state for more than a century have relied on contributions from international agencies regulated under the FCRA. While acknowledging that foreign contributions could be subjected to scrutiny under normal regulatory procedures, Sangma questioned whether it was reasonable to suddenly require organisations to produce extensive historical records when such scrutiny had not been carried out over the years.
He warned that retrospective requirements could create practical difficulties, as organisations may not possess every record dating back several years. Human errors and gaps in record-keeping could occur over long periods, he said, and such gaps could potentially be misused to target particular organisations or create opportunities for corruption.
Sangma described the proposed changes as potentially opening a “Pandora’s box” of complications and urged the Centre to consider the wider consequences before proceeding with the legislation.
Uncertainty continues to surround the fate of the Bill as the monsoon session of Parliament approaches its conclusion. The Congress has issued a whip directing its MPs in both Houses to remain present from August 10 to 12, while also asking INDIA bloc allies to ensure the attendance of their members. The ruling side has issued a similar whip, fuelling speculation that the government could seek to advance the legislation during the final days of the session.
Although the FCRA Bill was reportedly not listed on the agenda for Monday’s Business Advisory Committee meeting, discussions between Lalduhoma and Amit Shah have kept open the possibility that the Bill could be introduced on August 12 and passed by the Rajya Sabha on the final day of the session.
The controversy has sparked strong opposition from church bodies, civil society organisations and regional political parties in Christian-majority states such as Mizoram and Meghalaya. Both state chief ministers have met the Union Home Minister to raise concerns over the proposed legislation.
At the centre of the dispute is the proposed power of a government-appointed designated authority to take over, manage or dispose of assets created using foreign funds if an NGO’s registration expires, is not renewed, suspended or cancelled. Critics argue that many religious and community institutions in the Northeast have been built using a combination of local contributions and foreign funds and that the Bill does not clearly safeguard the portions financed domestically.
Regional stakeholders have also raised concerns that the proposed framework does not adequately address the role of Autonomous District Councils under the Sixth Schedule and have called for wider consultations before the Bill is finalised.
Churches and non-profit organisations play a significant role in providing education, healthcare and welfare services in remote areas of the Northeast, where government infrastructure remains limited. Organisations fear that the proposed provisions could disrupt these essential services.
The Union Home Ministry has so far assured stakeholders that provisions relating to the vesting of assets would apply prospectively. With nearly 16,000 associations registered under the FCRA reportedly receiving around Rs 22,000 crore annually, a significant portion of which flows into the Northeast and Kerala, the proposed amendments have emerged as a major issue as Parliament’s monsoon session draws to a close.
