Shillong: Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee members marched through Shillong on August 10. They carried party flags and placards to protest proposed amendments to the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act. The party fears these changes will cripple churches, schools, and non-profits that rely on overseas cash.
Senior leader Vincent H Pala warned that the ruling BJP party is pushing to pass the bill before the parliamentary recess on August 13. He noted, "The BJP has issued a whip and they are likely to bring the Bill either today, tomorrow, or the day after tomorrow."
Pala focused his fire on Clause 16A of the proposal. He claims the provision allows the government to seize property if an organization fails to renew, surrenders, or loses its FCRA registration. Even institutions receiving only a minor fraction of their budget from foreign sources could lose their entire assets, he argued. He warned that if a church or school is funded by a small percentage of foreign money, the state could attach the whole property.
The Congress leader insisted the protest was not an attack on the nation or the government itself. He argued that true national strength comes from unity between minorities, civil society, and the state. While the party accepts the need to regulate foreign funding to prevent misuse, they view this specific bill as a direct threat to civil society. The march served to build public pressure as the August 13 deadline approaches.
Updated at 11th August 2026 at 9:47am
Pala did not mince words about the political fallout, accusing the BJP of using the legislation to target Christians and other minority groups. He characterized the move as a state-sponsored takeover of schools and hospitals. The Congress president also pointed to a stalemate in Delhi, revealing that recent meetings between church leaders and Union Home Minister Amit Shah yielded no assurances or modifications to the draft bill.
The march kicked off at the Fire Brigade Ground, cutting through Laitumkhrah before ending at Don Bosco Square. Alongside the push to block the bill, some protesters demanded the resignation of Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Other high-ranking party officials, including MPCC working president Deborah C. Marak and AICC secretary Anthony Mathew, joined the ranks of the hundreds who turned out for the rally.
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