SHILLONG: In a call for broad societal solidarity to safeguard the region’s vital social infrastructure, leaders of the Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee have announced a silent peace march in Shillong to protest the Centre’s proposed amendments to the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA).
The opposition party has voiced grave concerns over the National Democratic Alliance government’s move, warning that the revised legislation threatens the very existence of minority-run educational, medical, and publishing institutions that have served as the foundation of community development across the Northeast for generations.
Explaining the legislative vulnerability, Laitumkhrah Block Congress Committee President Eugene Jarain highlighted that the FCRA revision, as an ordinary parliamentary bill rather than a constitutional amendment, requires only a minimal quorum of ten percent and a simple majority to pass.
Jarain emphasized that missionary and minority organizations have historically elevated the region’s standard of living by providing quality education and accessible healthcare. He cautioned that these foundational pillars, relied upon by citizens for nearly eight decades since independence, now face direct legislative jeopardy.
To register public protest and raise awareness, the state Congress unit has organized a peaceful procession scheduled for Monday at 11:00 AM, moving from the Fire Brigade Ground to Don Bosco Square.
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Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee Secretary Manuel Badwar assured that the demonstration will remain strictly non-disruptive, concluding with a brief assembly where prominent speakers will explain the specific legal clauses of the bill to attendees.
Badwar encouraged citizens to independently research the bill’s exact wording using search engines and artificial intelligence tools to fully understand its implications.
Framing the rally as a non-partisan cause to defend the nation’s secular and democratic character, Badwar noted that institutional promoters themselves are constrained from protesting openly due to potential risks to their operational licenses and funding.
The Congress leadership has consequently appealed to the conscience of the people of Meghalaya, urging every family that has benefited from these mission-driven schools and hospitals to dedicate an hour and a half to join the march and stand against authoritarian governance.
