Kohima/Aizawl, Aug 10 (IANS) Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio has urged Union Home Minister Amit Shah to consider greater parliamentary scrutiny and wider stakeholder consultation, including referring the proposed Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) for comprehensive examination.
Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma also urged the Centre on Sunday to refer the proposed FCRA amendment Bill to a JPC to facilitate wider consultations before the legislation is finalised.
In a letter to Shah, Rio said the government could consider referring the proposed legislation to a JPC, where its provisions could be examined comprehensively, and representatives of concerned stakeholders heard before their views are appropriately considered.
“We fully recognise and respect the responsibility of the Government of India to ensure transparency, accountability and compliance with the law in respect of foreign contributions,” Rio said in his letter shared on social media.
He said it was equally important to ensure that the regulatory framework prevented misuse and safeguarded national interests, while ensuring that genuine charitable, educational, healthcare and humanitarian institutions that have served the country for generations were not inadvertently affected or placed under uncertainty.
Referring to his recent meetings with Christian leaders and church organisations, Rio requested the Home Minister to consider their representations with due sensitivity, particularly in the context of Nagaland’s unique social, historical and developmental circumstances. He noted that Nagaland has a Christian‑majority population, and churches have historically played an important role not only in the spiritual and community life of the people but also in education, healthcare, poverty alleviation, social welfare, livelihood support and the upliftment of disadvantaged and vulnerable sections.
A significant number of educational, healthcare, humanitarian and social‑service activities undertaken by churches and charitable organisations, particularly in remote and economically weaker areas, have been supported by legitimate foreign contributions, partnerships and assistance, Rio said.
He added that increasingly stringent regulatory and compliance requirements under the FCRA had already placed considerable financial and administrative burdens on churches and charitable organisations.
“The proposed amendments, if implemented in their present form, are likely to compound these challenges further and could adversely impact several ongoing welfare, educational, healthcare and social‑service programmes in the State,” Rio said.
He added that the difficulties were particularly acute for smaller institutions working at the grassroots level, many of which operate with limited resources while serving people in remote, underserved and economically disadvantaged communities.
Rio also highlighted the role of churches and Christian organisations in providing humanitarian assistance during natural calamities, disasters and other emergencies. He cited their substantial relief and assistance to people affected by the ongoing floods and landslides in the region, as well as their contribution during the Covid‑19 pandemic, when churches and Christian institutions mobilised resources, infrastructure and volunteers in support of communities and government efforts.
Rio said the Christian faith and the Church in Nagaland have a history spanning more than 150 years, with longstanding ties with the global Christian community. He noted that the Baptist movement in Nagaland had historical links with Baptist communities in the United States. At the same time, the Catholic Church and other Christian denominations had maintained longstanding relationships with churches, missions, institutions and organisations in India and abroad.
“For more than a century, churches, Christian missions and organisations from within the country and abroad have played a significant role in the development of Nagaland. Their contribution predates Statehood and continued through some of the most difficult and isolated periods in our history,” Rio said.
Meanwhile, Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma said on Sunday that he had recently met Shah in New Delhi along with leaders of two apex church bodies, the Mizoram Kohhran Hruaitute Committee (MKHC) and the Council of Churches in Mizoram (CCM), representing various Christian denominations in the state.
During the meeting, both organisations placed their concerns and suggestions regarding certain provisions of the proposed legislation before Shah and submitted a memorandum to the Union Home Ministry, Lalduhoma said.
Making a renewed appeal for parliamentary scrutiny, Lalduhoma said referring the Bill to a JPC would facilitate the examination of concerns and suggestions from different parts of the country and various stakeholders before its final passage.
“In the spirit of democratic consultation, we respectfully appeal to the Union Government to refer the Bill to a JPC. This would provide an opportunity for concerns and suggestions from different parts of the country and across stakeholders to be carefully examined and considered before the legislation is finalised. I sincerely hope that the Union Government will give due consideration to this request in the larger interest of inclusive, transparent and consultative policymaking,” Lalduhoma said in a social media post.
The proposed amendments have drawn particular attention in Christian‑majority Mizoram and Nagaland, where churches and civil society organisations have expressed concerns over provisions they believe could affect organisations receiving foreign contributions.
More than six million Christians live in Mizoram, Nagaland and Meghalaya, while a significant number live in the other Northeastern states of Manipur, Tripura, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim.
–IANS
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