The Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC) has urged Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio to take up with the Centre the withdrawal of the proposed Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, stating that the proposed legislation could adversely affect churches, Christian institutions, charitable organisations and civil society groups involved in humanitarian and development work.
In a representation submitted to the Chief Minister, the NBCC said that while it recognises the Union government’s authority to regulate foreign contributions in the interest of national security, transparency and accountability, the proposed amendments would place excessive restrictions on genuine faith-based and charitable organisations.
The council said the Church has played a significant role in Nagaland’s development for more than a century through its work in education, healthcare, peacebuilding, disaster relief, youth and women’s empowerment, de-addiction programmes and welfare initiatives for marginalised communities. According to the NBCC, lawful foreign contributions have helped Christian organisations sustain these services, particularly in remote and economically weaker areas, and should be viewed as humanitarian support rather than political influence.
The NBCC, which represents 21 Baptist Associations, four associate members, 1,626 congregations and more than 7.48 lakh baptised members across the state, expressed concern that the proposed Bill could make it difficult for churches and charitable institutions to receive and use legitimate foreign funding for humanitarian, educational, healthcare and community development activities.
The council further said the amendments could increase the compliance burden on smaller churches and grassroots ministries, affect long-standing partnerships with international Christian organisations, discourage philanthropic support and create uncertainty for organisations dependent on foreign contributions to carry out welfare programmes. It also raised concerns that institutional assets could potentially be taken over if an organisation’s FCRA registration is cancelled under the proposed legal provisions.
Referring to the recent resolution passed by the Kerala Legislative Assembly urging the Union government to repeal the proposed legislation, the NBCC appealed to the Nagaland government to adopt a similar position and formally request the Centre to withdraw the Bill.
Reaffirming its commitment to public welfare, the council said churches have long remained important institutions in Nagaland’s educational, cultural and humanitarian sectors and expressed its willingness to continue working with the government to promote peace, justice, social harmony and inclusive development.
The representation was signed by NBCC President Rev Achu Chang, General Secretary Rev Dr Mar Pongener and Secretary (Social Concern) Dr Villo Naleo.
