KOHIMA: The Nagaland Legislative Assembly discussed the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) today.
Advisor for SCERT & Food Processing, Achumbemo Kikon, initiated the discussion on a matter of urgent public importance under Rule 50 of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly on the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010, during the Ninth Session of the 14th Nagaland Legislative Assembly.
Kikon said the proposed amendments could lead to stringent regulatory measures, cancellation of registrations and possible government control over assets created wholly or partly through foreign contributions.
Highlighting Nagaland’s context, he said churches and church affiliated organisations have historically contributed significantly to education, healthcare, social welfare, poverty alleviation and community development.
Kikon referred to concerns raised by the Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC), the North East India Christian Council (NEICC) and other church bodies, particularly regarding the renewal of FCRA registrations and the proposed powers of the designated authority.
He urged the Centre to ensure natural justice, due process and adequate opportunity for organisations to present their views, and called for a broad-based consultative process involving State governments, churches, civil society organisations and development agencies before finalising the proposed amendments.
He also urged careful constitutional scrutiny of the proposed legislation in view of Article 371A, particularly its provisions relating to religious and social practices in Nagaland.
Taking part in the discussion, Advisor, Temjenmenba highlighted the significant role played by churches and Christian organisations in the social development of Nagaland for over 150 years.
He said that long before modern government institutions reached many remote areas, churches were already contributing to education, healthcare and social welfare across the State.
While acknowledging the need to regulate foreign contributions, Temjenmenba said that transparency, accountability and national security were legitimate and important concerns of the government. However, he stressed that enforcement of the law should ensure that genuine and legitimate charitable and developmental organisations are not adversely affected.
He further stated that, given the historical role of churches and civil society organisations (CSOs) in Nagaland, the implementation of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) should take into account the State’s unique historical, social and developmental circumstances.
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MLA, Y. Mankhao Konyak said that the FCRA Amendment bill, 2026 proposes a legal framework to supervise, manage and dispose of the assets if the NGO fails to renew its certificate. He said mentioned that the Bill put restrictions on faith based and charitable organizations that work in education, healthcare disaster relief and poverty alleviation, especially in remote or economically weaker regions and there is fear of confiscation, take over or permanently seizure of asset and properties and puts minorities or independent welfare groups under severe central oversight. Most of the minority organizations run by Christian institutions like schools, hospitals, destitute asylum which has given much to the growth and progress of the nation is to be the worst hit.
He said that the bill does not clearly provide a transparent and well-defined procedure for renewal of FCRA certificate, which may create scope for denial or arbitrary decisions in the renewal process. The bill provides no second chance to those failing to renew certificates in time which shows a lack of appeal. Therefore, he was of the opinion that, even if the bill is to be amended, it should provide a simple, affordable, transparent and clear procedure for renewal of the FCR Certificate.
MLA, Kudecho Khamo also participating in the discussion on the FCRA, said the proposed amendments could place additional regulatory burdens on churches, charitable institutions and civil society organisations, particularly smaller organisations engaged in humanitarian, educational, healthcare and community-development activities.
While acknowledging the government’s objectives of ensuring transparency, financial accountability and national security, Khamo urged that the legitimate contributions and interests of churches and charitable organisations be protected. He called for continued consultation with stakeholders and urged the Central Government to duly consider their concerns while examining the proposed legislation, while upholding the principles of justice, equality and secularism.
Concluding the discussion on the matter of urgent public importance under Rule 50 of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly, chief minister, Dr. Neiphiu Rio said the proposed FCRA amendments had generated widespread concern among various sections of society, particularly the Christian community in Nagaland.
He said several bodies representing the Christian community and church organisations in the State had approached him, including through a joint representation, expressing apprehension that the proposed legislation in its present form could adversely affect the rights of minorities, charitable institutions and the long standing tradition of voluntary and humanitarian services carried out by such organisations.
Rio said he had held discussions and consultations with Christian leaders to understand their concerns, difficulties and challenges. He referred particularly to a meeting held on August 9, 2026, with representatives of the Nagaland Baptist Church Council, the Catholic Church and other church leaders, during which the challenges faced by churches and Christian organisations in carrying out humanitarian and social services were highlighted.
The chief minister noted the historic contribution of churches and Christian organisations to Nagaland, particularly in the fields of education, healthcare, social welfare, livelihood support and assistance to disadvantaged sections of society.
He said educational, healthcare, community and social-service activities undertaken by churches and charitable institutions, especially in remote and difficult areas, had been substantially supported through legitimate foreign partnerships and assistance.
“While increasingly stringent regulations and compliance requirements under the FCRA have already placed significant financial and administrative burdens on charitable organisations, the proposed amendments are likely to further compound these challenges,” Rio said.
He expressed concern that the proposed amendments could adversely affect ongoing programmes in education, healthcare and social services, particularly those benefiting vulnerable and economically disadvantaged communities.
Rio said the concerns were more acute in Nagaland because many institutions operate at the grassroots level with limited resources while serving people in remote and economically disadvantaged areas.
Referring to instances where applications for renewal of FCRA registration had reportedly been denied or subjected to prolonged processing, the chief minister cited the Missionaries of Charity, founded by Mother Teresa, as an example. He noted that the organisation, which operates in numerous countries including India, had its FCRA registration renewal denied in 2021 but was subsequently renewed following public concern and review.
Rio stressed that FCRA registration and renewal cases should be examined objectively and on an individual basis, particularly where organisations had remained compliant with applicable laws and regulatory requirements.
Given Nagaland’s distinctive social and geographical context, he said, charitable and social welfare activities should not be adversely affected by broad or generalised assessments.
The chief minister also highlighted the role played by churches and Christian organisations in providing humanitarian assistance during natural calamities, disasters and emergencies. He cited their substantial relief and assistance to people affected by the ongoing floods in the region, as well as their contribution during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Rio further highlighted the historical links between churches and Christian organisations in Nagaland and their counterparts abroad, saying such relationships had contributed significantly to philanthropy and charitable activities benefiting weaker sections of society.
He said the contribution of Christian missionaries and institutions to the development of Nagaland predates the State’s formation and has continued through some of the most difficult and isolated periods in its history.
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“Their services helped bring literacy, modern education and healthcare to generations of our people and contributed significantly towards social progress and human development,” Rio said, adding that the same held true for the rest of the country.
He asserted that the contribution of Christian institutions to India’s nation building process was undeniable, pointing out that many beneficiaries of their educational, healthcare and social services had gone on to serve the nation in public service, education, healthcare, science, business, sports and other fields.
At the same time, Rio acknowledged the responsibility of the Government of India to ensure transparency, accountability and compliance with the law governing foreign contributions.
“However, it is equally necessary to ensure that genuine charitable, educational, healthcare, community and social institutions which have rendered exemplary service to the nation for generations are not adversely affected or placed under undue uncertainty,” he said.
Rio informed the House that following his meeting with church leaders on August 9, he had written to the Union Home Minister, conveying the concerns regarding the proposed FCRA amendments in the context of Nagaland’s unique social, historical and developmental circumstances. He had urged the Government of India to subject the proposed amendments to greater scrutiny and consider the concerns raised by various organisations representing the Christian community across the country.
He also welcomed the decision to refer the Bill to the Joint Parliamentary Committee, saying the move would allow its provisions to be examined comprehensively and provide an opportunity for representatives of concerned stakeholders to be heard and their views appropriately considered.
“I am confident that the JPC will provide an opportunity to address genuine concerns, remove apprehensions and build greater public confidence in the proposed regulatory framework,” he said.
The chief minister reaffirmed the State Government’s commitment to continue engaging with all stakeholders and the Government of India to ensure that the legitimate concerns of churches, Christian organisations and other institutions are duly considered.
