Kerala Catholic Church reiterates concerns over proposed FCRA amendments

Kochi (Kerala), Jul 20 (PTI) The Catholic Church in Kerala on Monday reiterated its concerns over the proposed amendments to the FCRA, saying the contentious provisions in the Bill remained unchanged despite reports that it may be taken up in the present Parliament session. Kerala Catholic Bishops' Council (KCBC) spokesperson Fr Thomas Tharayil said the concerns raised by the Church when the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) Amendment Bill was first proposed continued to remain valid as no changes had been made to its provisions. "The Bill that is now proposed to be introduced is the same one that was to be brought on April 1. There has been no change in its contents and the concerns we had raised then still remain," he told the media here. Tharayil said several provisions of the proposed legislation required greater clarity and that the present draft continued to contain areas that were open to serious concern. He said the issue was not confined to the Catholic Church alone, but would affect several voluntary organisations across the country that undertake various service activities with foreign funding. The KCBC spokesperson further alleged that certain provisions of the Bill were inconsistent with the principles of natural justice and contained clauses that were not in conformity with the spirit of the Constitution. He said the Church would move forward in accordance with the Constitution and the rule of law. Tharayil said a delegation of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI) had recently met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and held talks with him in this regard. The CBCI had also submitted a memorandum to Shah, raising concerns over the proposed FCRA Bill, 2026, religious freedom, the rights of Scheduled Caste (SC) Christians and the humanitarian crisis in Manipur. The CBCI had expressed concern over the proposed amendments to the FCRA and said some of the proposed provisions could affect charitable institutions that have served poor and vulnerable communities for decades. It had also urged the government to withdraw the proposed Amendment Bill and the recently notified rules. It requested that both be redrafted after wider consultation with stakeholders, Church sources said. PTI LGK KH