The Global Naga Forum (GNF) strongly opposes the Foreign Contribution Regulation (Amendment) Bill, 2026. We feel that the move is a severe threat to the social and charitable work of NGOs in general, and those of religious-based minority organizations in particular. Instead of ensuring transparency or addressing national security concerns, the Bill envisages empowering the State with sweeping powers that undermine constitutional freedoms, destroy decades of charitable work, and strike at the heart of religious liberty.
The most dangerous provision of the Bill is the proposal for the creation of a designated authority with powers to seize control of physical and soft assets created with foreign contributions the moment an organization’s registration is cancelled, surrendered, allowed to expire, or simply not renewed. Such a measure is nothing less than expropriation without the safeguards of due process. It violates the principles of natural justice and places the property rights of citizens at the mercy of administrative discretion. No society should tolerate a system where a government authority is given such sweeping power to permanently take over institutions built by faith-based charitable organizations, as it amounts to a direct attack on minority communities.
Equally alarming is the breadth of discretion granted to officials. The Bill and the accompanying rules allow authorities to decide what constitutes acceptable activity, to impose geographic limits, to demand purpose-specific registrations for every category of work, and to cancel registration if foreign contributions fall below an arbitrary threshold. Organizations working across several states must obtain separate registrations, multiplying costs and administrative burdens. Social media accounts and publications must be disclosed, and any expression judged political can invite severe penalties. The inclusion of the undefined term proselytization opens the door to selective interpretation and harassment of the Christian community. This vagueness is not accidental; it is a tool of control which is done with sinister intent.
The Forum does not deny that it is the duty of the State to prevent the misuse of funds. However, it needs to be mentioned that the existing law, in the form of the principal Act, already provides sections for investigation, audit, and prosecution. The new Bill goes far beyond those legitimate needs. It creates a climate of permanent insecurity in which institutions must live in fear of sudden cancellation and seizure. Article 25 guarantees freedom of conscience and the right to freely profess, practice, and propagate religion. Article 30 protects the right of minorities to establish and administer educational institutions. Article 19 and Article 21 safeguard association, expression, and the right to livelihood that flows from the ability to carry on charitable work. The Bill places all these rights in jeopardy by subjecting them to the unbridled will of the executive, in this case, by the proposed designated authority.
As an organization that amplifies Naga collective wisdom and concerns, the Global Naga Forum insists that dialogue must precede any legislation intended to curtail the activities of civil societies and non-governmental organizations; most of all, the Bill in question, with its draconian provisions. We have no hesitation in articulating that this Bill contradicts the constitutional vision of a plural and compassionate India. It betrays the memory of those founding fathers of the Constitution who dreamt of a State which is welfare-oriented. We are convinced that the sole intention of this Bill is to restrict Christian participation in the service of mankind towards a dignified life, thereby marginalizing the community, which is just 2.3% of the country’s population.
The Global Naga Forum therefore urges Parliament to reject the FCRA Amendment Bill, 2026, in its present form, and to uphold the constitutional freedoms, institutional autonomy, and democratic space of India’s religious minorities and civil society.
At the same time, given the far-reaching implications of the proposed amendments, the GNF strongly urges Parliament to refer the FCRA Amendment Bill, 2026, to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) for comprehensive examination and consultation with all concerned stakeholders before any further legislative action is taken.
Media Cell
Global Naga Forum (GNF)
(The views expressed are those of the writer and not of the newspaper)