Photo Courtesy: nenews
Kohima: The Nagaland Joint Christian Forum hit the streets of Kohima to challenge proposed changes to the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act. Protesters also slammed any move to force officials to sing Vande Mataram. The demonstration centered on preserving religious freedom, democratic values, and the secular roots of India. Church leaders stood firm. They claim their faith and Naga identity exist in harmony with the country.
NJCF president N Paphino addressed the crowd. He told the gathering the protest was a peaceful pushback against threats to identity and conscience. "Nationalism does not mean the destruction of identity. Patriotism does not mean the surrender of conscience," Paphino said. He argued that true national unity should embrace diversity rather than demanding forced cultural or religious uniformity.
The forum officially requested that the government stop harassing individuals who skip the song due to personal religious convictions. They view this as a matter of individual conscience. Following the rally, the group submitted a formal memorandum to the President of India via Lok Bhavan. The document lists several grievances beyond the FCRA and song mandate. It highlights the continued use of the Protected Area Permit regime and the Armed Forces Act across the Northeast.
Addressing the FCRA debate, the forum denied that foreign funds support forced conversions. They maintain these donations bankroll social-welfare and charitable work for the poor. While the NJCF welcomes the strict enforcement of laws and supports penalizing rule-breakers, they reject the selective targeting of Christian groups. They asked the Joint Parliamentary Committee to consult grassroots beneficiaries before finalizing any changes. The forum also wants committee members to visit remote regions to see the real-world impact of their policy decisions firsthand.
Updated at 13th September 2026 at 1:47am
Legal experts speaking at the rally flagged major risks hidden in the proposed FCRA overhaul. Toshiba O Longkumer, an advocate at the Gauhati High Court, warned the bill creates an acquisition mechanism rather than a regulatory one. He argued the new language allows the government to seize assets like schools, hospitals, and churches if an organization's license lapses or gets cancelled, potentially moving those properties into the Consolidated Fund of India without any court oversight.
Longkumer backed these concerns with specific data, noting that as of July 2026, roughly 90 percent of all FCRA certificate cancellations in the country hit Christian institutions. He called the policy religion-specific rather than neutral and pushed community leaders to ramp up training on compliance to guard their assets.
On the Vande Mataram mandate, the forum clarified they heard promises from the state government that no one faces forced participation. Paphino said the group welcomes these assurances but demanded the state keep its word by preventing any form of harassment or discrimination on the ground.
Updated at 13th September 2026 at 1:47pm
Over 5,000 people packed the Khuochiezie local ground for the rally. Church officials pushed back against the state security apparatus, explicitly calling for the total repeal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act and the abolition of the Protected Area Permit regime. They argued these measures foster isolation and contradict national economic integration goals.
Regarding the song mandate, leadership clarified that while they respect the anthem's opening, they hold reservations about later verses. They believe these lyrics veer into the deification of the motherland, creating a direct conflict with Christian beliefs on worship and idols. The forum invoked the 1986 Supreme Court ruling in Bijoe Emmanuel v. State of Kerala to argue that students and public servants should be granted an administrative exemption to remain silent during the singing.
Multiple church denominations signed the nine-point memorandum submitted to the President. The document explicitly challenges the narrative that charitable work acts as a front for conversion, demanding that the government trust the social contributions made by religious institutions instead of viewing them through a lens of suspicion.
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