SHILLONG, July 16: Despite widespread resentment and mounting protests, particularly from the Meghalaya government, church leaders and civil society, the Union government is set to table the controversial Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, in the upcoming monsoon session of Parliament beginning July 20.
The Bill, introduced in the Lok Sabha on March 25 by Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai, had to be deferred after fierce Opposition protests outside Parliament in early April.
It proposes the creation of a “designated authority” that can take provisional and later permanent control of foreign contributions and assets of any organisation whose FCRA registration is cancelled, surrendered or not renewed.
Schools, hospitals, buildings and land built even partly with foreign funds can be transferred to government bodies or sold, with proceeds going to the Consolidated Fund of India.
In Meghalaya, where Christians form nearly 75 per cent of the population and church-run institutions provide the bulk of education, healthcare and welfare services in remote areas, the Bill has triggered strong opposition.
Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma personally led a high-level delegation of church leaders to New Delhi on July 5 and met Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The delegation included representatives from the Presbyterian Church of India, North East India Christian Council, Catholic Archdiocese of Shillong and Garo Baptist Convention.
Sangma stressed that any amendment must not disrupt genuine institutions that have long filled gaps left by government services. “Any changes to the law should not disrupt the functioning of genuine institutions engaged in public service,” he said, seeking a balanced approach that takes Meghalaya’s unique circumstances into account.
Church leaders described the meeting with Shah as positive, with assurances that every point in their memorandum would be examined and that another stakeholder consultation would be held. Nationally, the Home Minister has also assured that the Bill will not be applied retrospectively.
Despite these assurances, resentment remains deep.
The Khasi Jaintia Christian Leaders Forum (KJCLF) has urged the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly to pass a resolution calling for the withdrawal of both the Bill and the FCRA Amendment Rules notified in June 2026, following the example of the Kerala Assembly which adopted a similar resolution on July 1.
KJCLF Secretary Rev. Edwin H. Kharkongor warned that the changes could cripple vital social programmes in areas where government infrastructure is weak and called on other Northeast Chief Ministers to take similar steps.
Senior BJP MLA Alexander Laloo Hek has sought wider consultations, cautioning that the Bill could hurt non-profit organisations.
The Congress and Voice of the People Party have also opposed the legislation, describing it as an attempt at political control over schools, hospitals and community assets.
Civil society groups across the country have slammed the Bill for expanding state control far beyond regulation of foreign funds.
The government maintains the amendments are needed to plug legal gaps, protect national interest and prevent misuse of foreign contributions, and that genuine organisations working for public welfare have nothing to fear.
As the monsoon session approaches, Meghalaya’s churches, political parties and civil society are watching closely to see whether the Centre heeds the strong resentment from the Northeast and introduces safeguards, or pushes the Bill through in its present form.
For thousands of students, patients and remote communities dependent on church-run institutions, the outcome will have far-reaching consequences.
