Shillong, Aug 10: Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) president Vincent H Pala today described the proposed amendment to the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) as “one of the most dangerous bills” in independent India, alleging that the provisions could put properties of churches, NGOs, schools and hospitals at risk.
Addressing a Congress-led protest against the proposed FCRA amendment, Pala said his party was not opposed to the government regulating foreign contributions but alleged that the proposed provisions went beyond regulation and could result in the attachment of properties of organisations whose FCRA licences are cancelled, not renewed or surrendered.
“We are not against the government of India. We are here to work together. India will be strong if the people of India, the minorities, the Church and the NGOs are working together,” Pala said.
He alleged that the proposed legislation, particularly Clause 16A, was a cause for concern as it could empower authorities to take over property if an organisation’s FCRA registration was cancelled, not renewed or surrendered.
“If you cannot renew the FCRA or if they cancel your FCRA, or if you surrender the FCRA, they will take your property,” Pala alleged.
Giving an example, he said a church constructed at a cost of Rs 10 crore could potentially face attachment even if only Rs 10 lakh of its funding had come through FCRA contributions. Similarly, he claimed that a school or hospital costing Rs 10 crore could face the same situation if it had received Rs 1 crore through foreign contributions.
Pala said the issue was particularly significant for Meghalaya, where several educational and healthcare institutions have historically received foreign contributions.
“People may not be familiar, but people will know what is St Anthony’s, what is St Edmund’s, what is Loreto and what is Nazareth,” he said, referring to hospitals and educational institutions run by churches and NGOs, including H Gordon Roberts Hospital.
He claimed that more than 50,000 FCRA licences existed previously across the country but that the number had now fallen to around 14,000, with about 2,313 active registrations in the North East and only around 70 functional FCRA registrations in Meghalaya.
Pala maintained that the Congress itself does not have an FCRA registration but said the party was protesting on behalf of institutions and people who could be affected.
“We are not here for the interest of the party but we are here to fight for the poor people,” he said.
He alleged that the proposed legislation could disproportionately affect minority institutions, particularly Christian organisations, and called for people to support the campaign against the Bill.
The MPCC president said the protests were not confined to Meghalaya and would also be taken up at the national level, including in Parliament and on the streets.
NPP stand on FCRA amendment weak: Badwar
State Congress Party leader Manuel Badwar today criticised the National People’s Party (NPP)-led Meghalaya government for what he described as an inadequate response to the proposed FCRA amendment bill.
“When there’s a direct attack on a community as such, and we’re talking about a community which is very small in proportion to the entire country, a party in power in a state like Meghalaya… I think the NPP ought to have done a lot more. A lot, lot more,” Badwar said.
The central government is seeking to push through an amendment to the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act that churches, other religious institutions and NGOs fear will effectively curtail their work and put their assets at risk of being seized by the government.
Badwar accused the state government of merely attempting to project that it was opposing the bill without taking effective steps to influence its outcome.
The NPP is a close ally of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which heads the central government. The NPP currently does not have any representation in the lower house of Parliament, though it does in the upper house.
“I call it a whitewash, a hogwash,” Badwar said, alleging that the NPP and BJP were “hand in glove” and would continue to remain together.
Badwar defended today’s Congress-led protest, arguing that political parties have a role to play in opposing legislation because laws are ultimately enacted by governments and political parties.
He described the proposed FCRA legislation as “the most draconian bill” he had seen in his years in politics and alleged that it was intended not merely to regulate foreign contributions but to “grab” properties.
Badwar also questioned whether the proposed provisions would withstand legal scrutiny and said a parliamentary committee should have examined the legislation.
