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When the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government introduced the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, during the Budget Session of Parliament, just weeks before Kerala goes to the polls, observant political analysts knew it wasn’t an accident. Nothing in Delhi happens by accident.

The bill, on its face, is about regulation. It proposes a “designated authority” to take over the assets and funds of NGOs whose FCRA registration is cancelled, suspended, or not renewed. It broadens the definition of who counts as a “key functionary” in an organisation. It reduces the maximum imprisonment for FCRA violations from 5 years to 1 year. All very administrative-sounding. But when you read the fine print, something else emerges. The government would have the power to seize assets, redirect funds, and even reassign the management of a place of worship, all without going through a court first. That is not regulation. That is control.

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) warned that the legislation could endanger the very “operational survival” of minority institutions and civil society organisations. The Kerala Catholic Bishops’ Council went further, calling it “unconstitutional” and “draconian.” Major Archbishop Baselios Cardinal Cleemis posed a direct challenge, asking whether any section of the Christian community has ever posed a threat to national security, a question that cuts right to the heart of the matter. If the bill isn’t targeting Christians, why does it look,........

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