In a major setback to the Christian Conversion lobby, economic reforms of the Modi government have left Evangelists in the country jobless, reports Janmabhumi. As per the report, several Pentecostals in South India have stopped their religious campaigns due to the look of financial aid.
The report suggests that Pastors are no longer receiving the salary for their gospel work. They are now unable to repay loans that were taken for their houses and purchase of vehicles. In Kerala alone, there are more than 100s of Pentecostal Missions that preach in public places and on the roadside.
Pentecostal missions mainly depend on foreign funds. Modi government’s economic reforms including the stringent Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act norms have brought about a massive reduction in these foreign funds. Kerala received more than Rs 100 crores per year inflow of funds until 2014, which stopped abruptly after the Central government demanded details and source of funds.
As reported by Organiser, the FCRA crackdown has resulted in an abrupt decline of 40% of foreign inflow of funds. Several organisations have lost their FCRA registrations including the Believers Church, Ayana Charitable Trust, Love India Ministries and Last Hour Ministry. The Believers Church, one of the biggest missions in Kerala, had an inflow of about Rs 1,348.65 crore foreign aid until 2016. Their registrations were cancelled in 2017.
In 2015, the Modi government, in a major FCRA crackdown, had issued notices to more than 10,000 NGOs for failing to submit their mandatory annual returns. Since assuming power in 2014, the government has deregistered 16,000 NGOs and cancelled the FCRA registrations of 13,000 of them.
Last year, the Jharkhand police swooped down on 88 Christian missionary-operated non-governmental organizations (NGOs), on grievous charges of misusing foreign funds for the forceful religious conversion of tribals and political subversion
