Joint Action Forum on Minorities

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National Forum

Joint Action Forum on Minorities Discusses FCRA Amendment Bill 2026

Members of Parliament and representatives of minority and Christian organisations engage in dialogue on the proposed changes to India's Foreign Contribution (Regulation) framework.

Reported by: Colonel (Dr.) Andrews D. Christian Position: National Executive Officer, India National Office Subject: FCRA Amendment Bill, 2026

I had the privilege of participating in the esteemed Joint Action Forum on Minorities, chaired by Shri P. Wilson, a respected Member of Parliament. The forum provided an important platform for dialogue among Members of Parliament and representatives of minority communities concerning the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026.

Latest Parliamentary Status The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026 was referred by the Lok Sabha to a Joint Parliamentary Committee on 12 August 2026 for further examination.

Colonel Dr. Andrews D. Christian represented the Evangelical Fellowship of India (EFI) in his capacity as President, and he also serves as the National Executive Officer of The Salvation Army in India. His insights, together with contributions from other prominent participants, enriched the discussions held during the forum.

Parliamentary and Minority Voices

Among those in attendance were notable political leaders, including Dr. Farooq Abdullah and Shri Sanjay Singh of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). Members of Parliament from Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Arunachal Pradesh also participated, bringing diverse regional perspectives and experiences to the discussion.

The conversations focused on the implications of the proposed FCRA framework, particularly for charitable, religious and community organisations that rely on legitimate foreign contributions for their work.

Key point: The 2026 Bill proposes a framework for the supervision, management and disposal of foreign contributions and assets when an organisation ceases to hold an FCRA certificate. It also proposes a Designated Authority for such assets.

Concerns About Religious Freedom

Participants expressed the importance of ensuring that regulation of foreign contributions remains consistent with constitutional protections, religious freedom and the legitimate functioning of charitable institutions.

The discussion also emphasised the need for fairness, transparency and appropriate safeguards when regulations affect organisations serving religious, educational, medical and humanitarian purposes.

“We prayed for wisdom, justice, and the protection of religious freedom for all individuals.”

A Call for Wisdom and Justice

We express our gratitude to God for the opportunity to engage in such meaningful and impactful dialogue. As we navigated these important discussions, we prayed for wisdom, justice and the protection of religious freedom for all individuals.

The engagement provided an opportunity for different voices to be heard and for concerns surrounding the proposed legislation to be discussed within the wider parliamentary process.

All glory is to God for guiding us in these significant conversations.

Reported by
Colonel (Dr.) Andrews D. Christian
National Executive Officer, India National Office

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