FCRA amendment: Kerala CM writes to PM

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressing concern that the proposed amendments to the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act by the Centre has generated apprehensions among minority communities and religious institutions. In his letter, he urged Mr. Modi to reconsider the Centre’s position and to withdraw the proposed amendment.

The proposed amendment has kicked up a storm in Kerala with both the CPI(M) and the Congress-led Opposition in Kerala crying foul that the Bill was an attack on the minorities. The parties alleged that the Centre, through the new amendments, was bidding to have sweeping control over NGOs and religious institutions.

One of the proposed amendments state that if an NGO’s FCRA licence is cancelled or not renewed, the assets created using those funds will go to a designated authority appointed by the Centre. Through another provision, the government can permanently take over the assets if the registration of the NGO is not restored. Even assets which have been created through partial foreign contribution would be taken over if the NGO loses the FCRA licence.

In Kerala, where many churches, educational institutions and charitable hospitals might be receiving foreign contributions, the proposed amendments to the FCRA has created much apprehension among the churches, which fear that the government could arbitrarily take over church-run assets.

Mr. Vijayan in his letter pointed out that the original FCRA already contains sufficient provisions to address any actions that are contrary to public interest. He said that the proposed amendment could lead to situations wherein even if the licence renewal was delayed purely due to technical reasons or any lapses in the submission of applications, the Centre can temporarily take over the assets. In the backdrop of the increasing attacks against the places of worship of various religious minorities that are being widely reported from across the country, these concerns raised by religious minorities are rational and serious, Mr, Vijayan stated.

The AICC general secretary KC Venugopal too has alleged that the Centre was seeking to target religious minorities and charitable organisations through the FCRA amendment Bill. Addressing a press conference at Kottayam, he said that the FCRA amendment Bill was akin to a Damocles sword over the minorities and that it was clearly aimed at bringing Christian communities under control.

The Centre has sought to justify its stance about the proposed amendments, explaining that the provisions were only meant to prevent the misuse of foreign funds.