FCRA Amendment Bill Sparks Concern Among Kerala’s Oriental Orthodox Churches and Political Parties

The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment (FCRA) Bill, 2026 has sparked significant concern among Christian communities and political parties in Kerala. The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) has criticized several provisions of the Bill as “dangerous and alarming,” warning of executive overreach into minority institutions. This has intensified tensions ahead of the state’s upcoming Assembly elections.

During Palm Sunday services on March 29, bishops of the Syro-Malabar Church raised serious concerns about the proposed amendments, as reported by The Hindu. These concerns reflect broader anxieties within the Christian community about the potential impact of the Bill on religious and charitable activities.

The controversy has placed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in a difficult position in Kerala, where it has been actively seeking Christian voter support. The party’s efforts have been complicated by the growing opposition to the FCRA amendments, which many see as a threat to religious freedom and institutional autonomy.

Baselios Marthoma Mathews III, the Catholicos of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, has called for the Union government to reconsider the amendments. He warned of coordinated protests with other churches if the government does not change its stance. The Malankara Church’s FCRA accounts have been frozen, and no resolution has been reached despite direct appeals to state BJP president Rajeev Chandrasekhar.

Archbishop Mar Thomas Tharayil of the Changanassery Archdiocese of the Syro-Malabar Church also voiced concerns, urging the Union government to reconsider the Bill entirely. His statements have drawn criticism from the Christian Association and Alliance for Social Action (CASA), which accused him of being politically motivated and of favoring the United Democratic Front (UDF) and Kerala Congress (M) leader Jose K Mani.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging the withdrawal of the Bill’s provisions on asset takeover. He argued that the existing FCRA law is sufficient to address violations and that the proposed amendments could disrupt the functioning of religious and charitable organizations. His concerns highlight the potential impact of the Bill on the state’s diverse religious landscape.

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