DIMAPUR, AUG 10 (NPN): Nagaland chief minister Dr. Neiphiu Rio has urged Union Home Minister Amit Shah to consider wider stakeholder consultation and greater parliamentary scrutiny of the proposed amendments to the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA), including referral of the Bill to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC).
In a letter to Shah dated August 9, Rio said concerns expressed by various sections of society, particularly the Christian community, regarding the proposed amendments needed to be considered with sensitivity, keeping in view Nagaland’s unique social, historical and developmental circumstances.
Rio said the Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC) and the Bishop of Kohima had also represented their concerns to the Union Home Minister. He said he had held consultations with Christian leaders and, on August 9, met NBCC leaders and representatives and the Bishop of Kohima, who conveyed difficulties faced by churches and Christian organisations in carrying out their activities and humanitarian services.
Rio pointed out that more than 90% of Nagaland’s population was Christian and that churches had historically played a significant role not only in the spiritual and community life of the people but also in education, healthcare, poverty alleviation, social welfare, livelihood support and assistance to disadvantaged sections.
He said legitimate foreign contributions and partnerships had supported many educational, healthcare, humanitarian and social-service programmes, particularly in remote and economically weaker areas.
Rio said increasingly stringent FCRA regulatory and compliance requirements had already placed considerable financial and administrative burdens on churches and charitable organisations. He apprehended that the proposed amendments, if implemented in their present form, could further compound these difficulties and adversely affect ongoing welfare, educational, healthcare and social-service programmes, particularly those run by smaller grassroots institutions with limited resources.
He also referred to reports that renewal applications of certain church organisations had been declined on grounds relating to alleged use of foreign contributions for religious conversion.
He urged that such cases be reviewed objectively and individually, taking into account the actual nature and purpose of the activities undertaken by the organisations. Rio said legitimate charitable, educational, healthcare and social-welfare activities should not be adversely affected by broad or generalised assessments, particularly where organisations had otherwise complied with applicable laws and regulations. Highlighting the humanitarian role of churches and Christian organisations, Rio said they were providing substantial relief and assistance to people affected by the ongoing floods and landslides. He also recalled 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 Christianity and the Church in Nagaland had a history of more than 150 years, with longstanding links with the global Christian community. He said Baptist institutions in Nagaland had historical connections with the Baptist community in the US, while Catholic and other Christian denominations had maintained relationships with churches, missions and institutions in India and abroad.
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