by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent
NEW DELHI (Worthy News) – Christian workers in India fear proposed legislation will accelerate a government crackdown on foreign-funded mission groups, especially those supporting Dalits, viewed as “outcasts” in the country’s ancient Hindu social hierarchy.
The amended Foreign Contribution Regulation Amendment Bill (FCRA) is due to be debated in parliament during its June–August session, according to sources familiar with the planning.
Under the proposal, the Indian government could seize the assets of any organization that has its FCRA license blocked or that has a “lapsed license,” creating bureaucratic difficulties for Christian missionaries.
Hindu nationalists could target Christian properties meant to benefit Dalits and other marginalized groups in India, the world’s largest Hindu-majority nation of over 1.4 billion people, Christian leaders warn.
CRACKDOWN ON DALIT SUPPORT
Dalits, formerly known as “untouchables” and comprising over 200 million people, are considered outside the traditional four-tier Varna system, facing extreme poverty, discrimination, and systemic oppression. Hindu nationalists have expressed outrage about the spread of Christianity among Dalits, with many reportedly turning to the Christian faith, Worthy News documented.
Joseph D’Souza, head of the All India Christian Council, warned that mission groups now face “a dangerous and deeply alarming crisis, with immediate and potentially irreversible consequences.”
Advocacy group Release International accused the Indian government of seeking to exert control over Christian charities and mission organizations by limiting their access to foreign funding.
The group noted that since the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power in 2014, over 20,000 FCRA licenses had lapsed or been canceled, cutting off foreign funding sources for those impacted.
RESTRICTIONS ON FOREIGN FUNDING
“For more than 50 years, the sacrificial offerings of ordinary believers—from Brazil and South Africa to Mexico and Australia—have been the foundation of social upliftment for India’s most marginalized,” said Paul Robinson, CEO of Release International.
He added that the proposed amendment reflects an increasingly hostile environment for Christians in India, home to more than 60 million Christians, or roughly 4–5 percent of the population.
India ranks 12th on the World Watch List compiled by advocacy group Open Doors, which tracks persecution of Christians worldwide. The group links the ranking to rising Hindu nationalism, anti-conversion laws, and increasing violence and harassment against Christians.
He noted that a growing number of Indian states have already adopted so-called “anti-conversion laws,” effectively restricting evangelism. While officially intended to protect against “forced conversions,” these laws often serve in practice as a pretext for persecuting Christians and others viewed as threatening Hindu dominance, critics say.
Evangelical Christians stress that the Bible teaches that conversion is voluntary and based on a personal choice to follow Jesus Christ.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
More Worthy News
Israel expanded its military campaign against Hezbollah on Monday, striking more than 70 targets across Lebanon as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to increase pressure on the Iranian-backed terror group following a sharp rise in drone and rocket attacks on northern Israel.
A federal appeals court is weighing whether Kansas City can use its public accommodation ordinance to require Christian counselors to counsel gay married couples despite the counselors’ biblical convictions on marriage and sexuality.
Tens of thousands of evangelical Christians gathered in the Netherlands for one of Europe’s largest multi-day Christian events, with organizers and participants expressing hopes for spiritual revival in the nation and across Europe.
President Donald Trump pushed back Monday against sharp criticism from Republicans and former administration officials over a potential U.S.-Iran agreement, insisting that any final accord must prevent Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon or it will not be signed.
President Donald Trump said Monday that countries involved in negotiations over Iran should be required to join the Abraham Accords, signaling that the White House is seeking to turn a possible Iran agreement into a wider regional realignment that includes normalization with Israel.
Tensions remained high in Serbia’s capital Belgrade on Sunday after at least tens of thousands of people demanded elections and rallied against what they view as the increasingly authoritarian rule of President Aleksandar Vučić, with violence erupting after the protest and more than 20 people arrested.
Investigations were ongoing Sunday into the killing of three senior Kuki-Thadou Christian church leaders by unidentified gunmen in India’s northeastern Manipur State, Christian investigators told Worthy News.