The Assam Christian Forum has expressed deep concern over the proposed Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill 2026, introduced in the Lok Sabha on March 25, 2026 and expected to be reintroduced in the Monsoon Session.
“We urge Members of Parliament from the Northeast and the Union Government to abandon these draconian provisions and instead amend the existing Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010, in accordance with the norms of natural justice,” Allen Brooks, spokesperson for the Forum, said.
Brooks stated that the proposed amendments pose a severe threat to civil society organisations, churches, and institutions that serve the poor, Dalits, tribals, and marginalised communities across Assam and the Northeast.
Key provisions include forfeiture of all assets —movable and immovable— built in whole or in part with foreign contributions since the original 1976 Act, if an organisation is denied permission to receive foreign funds, surrenders its registration, fails to renew it, or ceases to exist; and creation of a “Designated Authority” empowered to take over such assets and dispose of them under undefined norms.
Remaining foreign funds would be transferred to the Consolidated Fund of India. The Authority would also possess powers of a civil court to summon evidence, take possession, and even supervise or run organisational activities in an undefined “public interest.”
The provisions also include the transfer of remaining funds of organisations whose registration is discontinued to the Consolidated Fund of India, with assets permanently vested in the Authority, which may hand them over to any government body or sell them.
“These measures reverse the earlier position under which organisations denied or surrendering registration retained their assets (with remaining funds merely frozen). They go far beyond regulation and amount to punitive confiscation,” Brooks said.
“Natural justice demands that punishment be proportionate to the offence. Studies show that of more than 15,000 organisations denied permission to receive foreign contributions in recent years, only about a dozen faced denial for corruption-related offences. The vast majority lost registration for minor technical issues such as delayed reporting or accounting errors. Depriving organisations of assets built since 1976 for such lapses is grossly disproportionate and violates basic principles of fairness. The most that can justly be accepted is the takeover of a specific asset after a transparent process proves corrupt acquisition or construction of that particular asset,” he said.
The ACF spokesperson warned that the consequences for beneficiaries will be severe. “Many schools, health centres, dispensaries, and other institutions in remote tribal areas of the Northeast—including Assam—were built partly or wholly with foreign contributions precisely because state infrastructure remains inadequate. In large parts of the hills and remote regions, two-thirds of the population still depend on traditional healing systems because government health centres often lack staff, medicine, testing facilities and electricity. Schools frequently operate with a single irregular teacher, and mid-day meals exist largely on paper. Poor rural transport further isolates communities from the few better institutions concentrated in places such as Guwahati and Shillong,” he said.
The Bill also raises serious concerns about freedom of religion.
“Provisions allowing state management of churches, mosques, and temples “while maintaining religious character” under government oversight threaten the autonomy of places of worship. Judicial recourse is narrowly restricted to appeals before a District Judge or specified judicial officer within 90 days, denying adequate opportunity for defence,” he said.
Instead of the proposed confiscatory regime, the Assam Christian Forum calls for:
- Amendment of the existing FCRA to ensure a transparent process for denial or cancellation of registration, with a genuine opportunity for the organisation to explain and defend itself.
- Proportionality: denial of permission should not occur for minor technical violations.
- Protection of assets built for genuine public service, so that institutions continue to serve the poor even if foreign funding ceases.
- Development of a robust public-private partnership and grants-in-aid policy, as successfully practised in several southern states for decades, under which the state supports salaries, pensions, and maintenance of private educational and health institutions serving the underprivileged.
“Health and education are fundamental rights. Organisations that deliver these services in remote areas are partners, not adversaries. Confiscating their assets will not strengthen national security or sovereignty; it will deepen the deprivation of already marginalised communities and undermine peace-building efforts in the Northeast,” Brooks said.
“We therefore appeal to all Members of Parliament from Assam and the Northeast, and to the Union Government, to reject the proposed Amendment Bill 2026 in its present form and to reform the FCRA in a manner that upholds natural justice, protects the rights of the poor, and enables genuine collaboration between the state and civil society,”he added.
