Bill to regulate foreign money of churches, temples clears first hurdle

The government made significant progress towards regulating money received by religious and nongovernmental organisations when Rajya Sabha passed Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Bill, 2006, on Thursday.

The bill prohibits certain categories of individuals and organisations from accepting foreign funds and hospitality without prior government permission.

Once it becomes a law, churches, temple trusts, religious outfits such as Vishwa Hindu Parishad, NGOs, political parties, etc will have to account for every single penny they receive from donors abroad.

The law will debar persons prosecuted or convicted for indulging in activities aimed at religious conversion through inducement or force, those prosecuted or convicted for creating communal tension or disharmony and those likely to engage in propagation of sedition or advocate violent methods from receiving foreign contributions.

It will ensure the acceptance of foreign contribution by a person should not affect prejudicially the sovereignty and integrity of India, security, strategic, scientific or economic interest of the state, public interest, freedom or fairness of election to any legislature, friendly relations with foreign states and harmony between religious, racial, social, linguistic, regional groups, castes or communities.

Home minister P Chidambaram said during a debate on the bill, which will replace the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 1976, that the government will have the power to cancel registration of organisations that receive foreign funds but do not reveal accounts.

“There are over 40,173 organisations receiving foreign contribution in the country, and half of them do not report the inflow of funds and do not file accounts.

“Where is the money going? This requires to be regulated. Hence, we need a stricter law,” he said, adding that legitimate charitable and social activities would be permitted to access foreign funds.

Apart from the aforesaid, the law will affect election candidates, correspondents, editors, printers and publishers of newspapers, judges, government servants, members of the legislature and political parties and employees of units owned or controlled by the government.