Now Reading: Church, Christian NGOs urge withdrawal of FCRA Bill
-
01
Church, Christian NGOs urge withdrawal of FCRA Bill
The Catholic Church and Christian NGOs have urged the Centre to withdraw the proposed Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, calling it draconian. Archbishop emeritus of Bombay Oswald Cardinal Gracias wrote to…
The Story in Brief
The Catholic Church and Christian NGOs have urged the Centre to withdraw the proposed Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, calling it draconian. Archbishop emeritus of Bombay Oswald Cardinal Gracias wrote to home minister Amit Shah, warning that priests and nuns working with marginalised communities could see their work shut down. The archdiocese of Bombay said the Bill risks moving from regulation to excessive state control over charitable, educational and religious institutions.
NGOs say the Bill empowers officials to seize Christian properties and assets. The Centre has referred the Bill to a 31-member joint parliamentary committee. The archdiocese and groups such as the Bombay Catholic Sabha and Watchdog Foundation have demanded the Bill's withdrawal, arguing it could let the state take control of schools, hospitals and buildings created with foreign funds.
The Indian Opinion
The FCRA Bill has revived the familiar charge that the Centre is targeting minority institutions. The government says it wants accountability, but critics point to anti-conversion laws in 13 states and argue this is a pattern. The test will be whether the joint parliamentary committee actually listens to the charities on the ground, or simply rubber-stamps the Bill. The number to watch: how many amendments the JPC accepts from civil society witnesses.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
