India Christians Fear Crackdown On Missions Under Foreign Funding Law

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent

NEW DELHI (Worthy News) – Christian workers in India fear proposed legislation will accelerate a government crackdown on foreign-funded mission groups, especially those supporting Dalits, viewed as “outcasts” in the country’s ancient Hindu social hierarchy.

The amended Foreign Contribution Regulation Amendment Bill (FCRA) is due to be debated in parliament during its June–August session, according to sources familiar with the planning.

Under the proposal, the Indian government could seize the assets of any organization that has its FCRA license blocked or that has a “lapsed license,” creating bureaucratic difficulties for Christian missionaries.

Hindu nationalists could target Christian properties meant to benefit Dalits and other marginalized groups in India, the world’s largest Hindu-majority nation of over 1.4 billion people, Christian leaders warn.

CRACKDOWN ON DALIT SUPPORT

Dalits, formerly known as “untouchables” and comprising over 200 million people, are considered outside the traditional four-tier Varna system, facing extreme poverty, discrimination, and systemic oppression. Hindu nationalists have expressed outrage about the spread of Christianity among Dalits, with many reportedly turning to the Christian faith, Worthy News documented.

Joseph D’Souza, head of the All India Christian Council, warned that mission groups now face “a dangerous and deeply alarming crisis, with immediate and potentially irreversible consequences.”

Advocacy group Release International accused the Indian government of seeking to exert control over Christian charities and mission organizations by limiting their access to foreign funding.

The group noted that since the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power in 2014, over 20,000 FCRA licenses had lapsed or been canceled, cutting off foreign funding sources for those impacted.

RESTRICTIONS ON FOREIGN FUNDING

“For more than 50 years, the sacrificial offerings of ordinary believers—from Brazil and South Africa to Mexico and Australia—have been the foundation of social upliftment for India’s most marginalized,” said Paul Robinson, CEO of Release International.

He added that the proposed amendment reflects an increasingly hostile environment for Christians in India, home to more than 60 million Christians, or roughly 4–5 percent of the population.

India ranks 12th on the World Watch List compiled by advocacy group Open Doors, which tracks persecution of Christians worldwide. The group links the ranking to rising Hindu nationalism, anti-conversion laws, and increasing violence and harassment against Christians.

He noted that a growing number of Indian states have already adopted so-called “anti-conversion laws,” effectively restricting evangelism. While officially intended to protect against “forced conversions,” these laws often serve in practice as a pretext for persecuting Christians and others viewed as threatening Hindu dominance, critics say.

Evangelical Christians stress that the Bible teaches that conversion is voluntary and based on a personal choice to follow Jesus Christ.

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