Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma on August 6 met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi to formally submit the state’s recommendations and convey regional concerns over the proposed Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026.
The meeting took place amid growing apprehensions in Mizoram, particularly among church bodies and civil society organisations, over certain provisions of the proposed legislation governing foreign funding.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Lalduhoma said the Union Home Minister had assured him that the proposed amendments would not have retrospective effect. He said Shah informed the state that the Bill would not apply retrospectively and assured that a paragraph-wise response to the issues raised in Mizoram’s memorandum would be provided. Lalduhoma also said parliamentary discussions on the proposed legislation are expected to begin on August 12.
The Chief Minister said the memorandum submitted to the Union Home Minister detailed the state’s concerns regarding various clauses of the Bill and expressed hope that the Centre would consider Mizoram’s recommendations during the parliamentary debate.
A delegation of church leaders from Mizoram also met Shah and submitted a joint memorandum outlining objections to several provisions of the proposed legislation.
Reverend Lalhmangaiha, General Secretary of the Council of Churches in Mizoram, said one of the principal concerns relates to a provision that, according to their understanding, could allow the government to take over assets created through foreign contributions after an organisation legally utilised the funds and later surrendered or lost its FCRA licence.
He said organisations receiving foreign contributions use the funds for approved purposes in accordance with the law, and expressed concern that assets created through such legitimate funding could be taken over if the licence is cancelled or voluntarily surrendered. He said the church body was uncomfortable with such a provision if that interpretation proved correct.
The Council of Churches urged the Centre to reconsider the contentious clauses, arguing that organisations which have lawfully utilised foreign contributions should not face uncertainty over assets created through those funds. The proposed Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, has sparked concern among several religious and charitable organisations, particularly in the Northeast, where many educational, healthcare and social welfare institutions receive foreign contributions under the existing FCRA framework.
Parliament is expected to begin discussions on the proposed legislation from August 12. The Centre has not yet publicly responded in detail to the specific concerns raised by the Mizoram government and church organisations.
Meanwhile, a delegation of Christian leaders led by DMK Rajya Sabha MP P. Wilson also met Union Home Minister Amit Shah, urging the Centre to withdraw the proposed Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, on the grounds that it is “confiscatory” in nature.
In a memorandum submitted to Shah, the delegation argued that the proposed law would replace the existing regulatory framework with one that could adversely affect charitable institutions across the country. It further urged the government that, if the Bill is not withdrawn, it should be referred along with a comprehensive review of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010, to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC). The delegation also called for the repeal of Section 15 of the existing Act, which deals with the vesting of assets.
