profit organizations," a move churches say could further restrict missionary work in India, where Christians are already singled out for attacks by Hindu militants, BosNewsLife established Saturday, May 7. News of the regulations comes just days after a crowd of nearly 500 Hindu villagers reportedly stormed an active house church in Mangalwarapete village in India’s Karnataka state last Sunday, May 1.
Assailants apparently molested some of the women among the 60 people present at the Sunday service and burned Bibles and other Christian literature. Pastor Paulraj Raju of King Jesus Church was hospitalized after the mob beat him, while his wife and an elder of the church were also seriously injured in the attack, the church said.
It was the latest in a series of reported attacks carried out by supporters of the Hindu militant
Bajrang Dal and the nationalist Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP), who human rights watchers claim are using "violence and intimidation" to increase their political cloud to drive out Christians and stop conversions.
HINDU GROUPS FRUSTRATED
There are at least 24 million Christians in India, just over 2 percent of India’s total population, according church estimates. However Hindu groups have been frustrated about the growing
number of churches in India. United States backed Gospel for Asia claims its 14,000 native missionaries are planting 10 churches a day in India, although critics say these figures are inflated.
So far, India’s government resisted BJP calls to restrict foreign funds for "non governmental organizations" (NGO’s), including those involved in establishing churches and other missionary work, after proteste from Christian groups.
But under the current government proposal, permission to receive foreign funds "will be reviewed" every five years and analysts say this could play in the hands of Hindu politicians trying to hinder Christian activities in India.
The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) adopted in 1976 only required all Indian
organizations and individuals seeking foreign contributions to receive clearance from the Ministry of Home Affairs, in the form of either registration or prior permission.
"DIVERSION OF FUNDS"
The Indian Express news paper quoted government officials as saying that the changes to the FCRA were needed "following reports of massive diversion of foreign funds." It was not immediately clear which organizations were meant, and Western evangelical groups have made clear their financial records are open.
The changes the governing Congress-led United Progressive Alliance has sought aim to "ensure that funds are received and used by the right people and used for the specified purpose," the news paper quoted Interior Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal as saying. "The changes will not make receiving foreign funds difficult," he reportedly added.
His Interior Ministry has also proposed that banks be required to report transactions or otherwise "be liable for prosecution". Besides, five regional offices are being proposed to be set-up to directly monitor NGO’s receiving funds, and audit the accounts, BosNewsLife learned.
CABINET MEETING
Senior ministry officials told Indian media that the issue would be discussed in the cabinet soon and that Parliament will be informed during its current session, which last till May 13. It was not clear when parliament would vote on the proposed law amendment.
The FCRA was first proposed to be amended in 2000, to make it mandatory for minority religious organizations to report to district administrators about the source of their funds and the nature of their work. After the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks against the US, the BJP proposed to add NGOs to the list of regulated organizations. (Based in New Delhi, Journalist Vishal Arora, 32, has covered persecution and other hard hitting news stories for a variety of international and national publications. He has traveled around the country on invitation by NGOs for seminars and talks on human rights, communalism, and religious persecution. Vishal Arora can be contacted at e-mail address vishalarora_in@hotmail.com or visit his website http://www40.brinkster.com/vishalarora/ )
