The NCCI and CBCI, however, person said that religion properties are governed by existing laws successful the country, including Societies Act, Trusts Act and Companies Act.
A Madras High Court reflection that religion properties should beryllium governed by a statutory assemblage akin to the Waqf Board is worrying churches and Christian missions crossed the country. This, adjacent arsenic the Waqf Board’s creation itself is being renegotiated nether a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) looking into Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024.
Leaders of 2 large bodies — the National Council of Churches successful India (NCCI) and Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI) — which govern astir 90% of the churches successful India expressed their discontent astatine the reflection made successful the past week of October.
The tribunal observed, “While the charitable endowments of Hindus and Muslims are taxable to statutory regulations, nary specified broad regularisation exists for specified endowments of Christians. Thus, the lone scrutiny/oversight implicit the affairs of these institutions is by mode of a suit nether conception 92 of the Code of Civil Procedure… o marque the institutions much accountable determination indispensable beryllium a statutory committee to modulate the affairs…” The tribunal past impleaded the Union Home Ministry and the Tamil Nadu authorities into the case.
The NCCI and CBCI, however, person said that religion properties are governed by existing laws successful the country, including Societies Act, Trusts Act and Companies Act.
Speaking to The Indian Express, NCCI office-bearer Asir Ebenezer said, “Apart from these 3 laws… properties should beryllium registered again nether the Charity Commission… Christian properties are already governed by existing laws… wherefore should determination beryllium different body?”
CBCI authoritative Robinson Rodrigues said, “… Christian properties nether the Catholic religion are each registered properties which person due records.”
The NCCI’s contention is that the Constitution allows number communities to acceptable up and govern their ain institutions. “Another body… volition infringe upon our law rights,” Ebenezer said. Christian properties see not conscionable churches but besides acquisition and healthcare institutions.