The Madras High Court, through a division bench of Justice G R Swaminathan and Justice M D Sumathi, rejected an FCRA registration plea filed by the Kanzeon Public Charitable Trust, founded in 2021 and led by ordained Christian priest Rev Fr Ama Samy S J. The bench noted that the trust’s mission centred on converting people to Christianity, an activity that the court deemed incompatible with the intent of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act.
In its judgment, the judges warned that allowing foreign funds to fuel conversion activities could threaten national sovereignty. They cited the exclusive nature of Abrahamic religions and contrasted it with the inclusive character of Hinduism, arguing that the statutory regime was designed to serve secular objectives rather than advance a single faith.
The court also drew a line between religious bodies and organisations primarily engaged in cultural or educational pursuits. It defined institutions that systematically teach Vedanta, the Bhagavad Gita, or Indian Knowledge Systems as cultural/educational, not religious, and therefore eligible for FCRA registration. By contrast, the Kanzeon Trust was categorised as a religious entity, which disqualified it from receiving foreign contributions.
The decision follows a recent Enforcement Directorate probe that uncovered the misuse of approximately Rs 5.10 crore in foreign funds from Belgium‑based Amar ASBL, allegedly funneled through local agents for proselytisation in Jaisalmer. The ED’s findings underscore a broader shift toward stricter scrutiny of foreign money flowing into Indian religious organisations.
The ruling is likely to prompt appeals from the Kanzeon Trust and may serve as a precedent for other faith‑based groups seeking FCRA registration. It also signals that the government will increasingly enforce the FCRA’s provisions against entities engaged in conversion activities.
The decision will immediately halt the trust’s ability to obtain foreign contributions, potentially affecting its planned community outreach projects in Kodaikanal. Local donors who had pledged support will now face uncertainty over whether their contributions can be legally accepted.
The court’s judgment arrives as part of a broader national debate on the role of faith organisations in a secular democracy. Stakeholders across the religious spectrum will be watching closely to see how the FCRA’s provisions are applied in future cases.