Christians express 'deep concern' over move to restrict foreign contributions

The All India Christian Council (aicc) has expressed "deep concern" at a new law passed by the Parliament recently to restrict foreign contributions.

The Foreign Contributions Regulatory Act (FCRA), 2010 was passed by the Lower House of Parliament on Aug. 27 and by the Upper House a week earlier.

The passing of the Bill under a UPA government came as a surprise, said aicc, as it appealed the President of India to withhold the Bill. "We call on you, Madam President, to withhold your Consent to the Bill when it is submitted to you, to give an opportunity to the Government to address our concerns."

The new Bill replaces the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 1976. With the President's assent, the Bill would make it mandatory for churches and other religious outfits to account for the money they receive from overseas donors.

Minister of State for Home Affairs Ajay Maken said the Bill would curtail the number of people being accused for indulging in forcible conversions. Maken said over 40,000 organisations were receiving foreign contribution in the country and 'half of them do not file accounts.

However, the civil society had consistently opposed the Bill as it ran entirely contrary to the National Policy on Voluntary Organisations adopted by this government, as had been highlighted by the CHRI and Voluntary Action Network of India (VANI), an umbrella organisation of several hundred networked groups across India.

According to the aicc, the law was first conceived by the former NDA government headed by the Bharatiya Janata Party and was specially meant to target religious minority communities and their social action and welfare organisations. "We had hoped that the Bill would be put in cold storage, if not actually buried, with the going away of the NDA government."

Currently, civil society organizations, irrespective of their affiliation, are subject to the Charities Law, the Income Tax Act, the Company's Act (as non profit companies) and the Societies Registration Act. Also, criminal and special laws such as the money laundering laws and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act exist to address other concerns.

The aicc says FCRA 2010 creates a completely targeted discriminatory regime for even other civil society organisations that receive funds from abroad. "This indicates a deep distrust of the sector and a clear desire to have control over the internal management of organisations at will - beyond that permissible under our constitutional right to associate."

It appealed for the President's urgent intervention to prevent the operationalisation of the Bill. "We are law abiding people, and our record proves it. And our work is entirely in the public domain, entirely transparent, properly audited and for the good of the people not reached sometimes even by the state agencies," the Council said.

An online petition for the President's intervention is running till September 20. Over hundred NGOs and individuals have already signed it.