Christian bodies seek safeguards in law
NEW DELHI: Union home minister Amit Shah on Thursday assured representatives of the Christian community that the proposed amendments to the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) Bill, 2026 would not have retrospective application. The assurance came at a meeting with church leaders and Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma ahead of the government’s likely move to take up the Bill for discussion in Parliament on August 12.
The proposed legislation seeks to create a framework for vesting, supervision and management of foreign contributions and related assets in a designated authority, raising concerns among church bodies that rely on foreign funding. Lalduhoma said the delegation conveyed its apprehensions to the home minister. “We have conveyed our apprehensions on the new FCRA bill to the home minister. He assured us that the bill will not come into effect retrospectively," he said.
He added that Shah indicated the Bill would be debated in the House on August 12. A delegation comprising Mizoram Kohhran Hruaitu Committee chairman John Raldosanga and Council of Churches in Mizoram general secretary Lalhmangaiha submitted a memorandum to the home minister, seeking safeguards in the proposed law.
