Amit Shah assures church leaders that FCRA Bill will not be applied retrospectively

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has assured the Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI) that the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026 is not discriminatory against Christian NGOs, which receive a little under 15% of the total foreign donations, Jonathan Lalremruata, advisor to the apex body of the Catholic churches in India, told The Hindu.

In the meeting held on Friday (July 10, 2026), the churches body also raised the ongoing violence in Manipur to which the Minister replied that the government is making sincere efforts to bring the situation under control and urged the CBCI to broker peace in the region, the advisor said.

No communal angle

“The Minister was categorical that the ongoing tension in Manipur is an ethnic conflict and it should not be given a communal angle,” he said. The ethnic violence between tribal Kuki-Zo and Meitei people which started on May 3, 2023 has now expanded with confrontations between Kukis and a section of Naga people.

The Minister advised that all cases of aggression against the church or the community should be reported to the police.

“The Minister asked us to ensure that a First Information Report (FIR) is filed in all such cases of aggression. When we told him that the police refuses to register our complaints, the Minister asked us to report the matter to MHA. He also recalled a couple of incidents where he intervened to ensure justice to the community,” Mr. Lalremruata said.

Contribution to nation

He said that Mr. Shah informed the delegation that out of the total ₹17,000 crore in foreign donations that came to the country last year, around ₹3,000 crore was meant for Christian bodies. “The Minister asserted that the Bill was meant to regulate foreign funding and it was not against any religious community. He also acknowledged the church’s contribution to nation building,” Mr. Lalremruata said while giving the details of the meeting that went on for 45 minutes.

Anthony Cardinal Poola, Metropolitan Archbishop of Hyderabad and President, CBCI and Anil Couto, Metropolitan Archbishop of Delhi were present at the meeting. Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan and officials concerned of the FCRA division of the Ministry were also present at the meeting.

A government source said that the Minister also conveyed to the delegation that the largest recipient of foreign donations were not the Christian NGOs but from other communities. “The Minister also asked us to submit a list of NGOs, whose registration, according to us has been cancelled or suspended in an unfair manner,” Mr. Lalremruata said.

The CBCI had sought a meeting with the Home Minister to express concerns about the provisions of the Bill and the FCRA Amendment Rules, 2026 notified on June 22. The Rules mandated NGOs to specify the list of activities that can be pursued by them under the five permitted categories — social, political educational, cultural and religious — and also state the geographic area where they would operate. The Rules permit 16 categories of religious activities “conduct of religious education, moral instruction, satsangs, discourses, and meditation retreats” but specifically bars “proselytisation.” In a memorandum submitted to the Minister, CBCI said the term should be omitted as it has no relevance to the FCRA activities and without a definition is sure to be misused.

The Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha on March 25 but following an uproar by Opposition parties, its discussion and passage were deferred. One of the key changes proposed in the Bill is the appointment of a ‘designated authority’ to take over, manage, or dispose of assets created from foreign funds when an NGO’s FCRA registration is suspended, cancelled, or not renewed. This authority will have the powers of a civil court and can order the transfer or sale of assets owned by NGOs to either the government or any other body. The CBCI opposed the provision stating it could be applied retrospectively.

12 months appeal

“The Minister assured us that the provisions of the Bill will not be be applied in retrospect. And if a property has been attached, the affected party will get 12 months to appeal,” Mr. Lalremruata said.

On July 5, Meghalaya Chief Minster Conrad Sangma had met the Home Minister with similar concerns on FCRA. The Chief Minister highlighted how the proposed changes could disrupt the functioning of religious, educational, and charitable institutions that have long complemented government efforts in education, healthcare, and community development.