U.S. House members urge India to ease restrictions on Christian charity

As many as 107 members of the U.S. House of Representatives have sent a letter to India's Minister of Home Affairs Rajnath Singh, asking him to allow the Christian charity Compassion International to continue providing aid to Indian children.

Earlier this month, Compassion International announced that it would be shutting down its operations in India after it was barred from receiving foreign funding without government approval, Scroll reported. The charity, which supports 145,000 Indian children with donations raised in the U.S., has been accused of trying to convert people to Christianity.

In the letter to Singh, the lawmakers stated that the case of Compassion International has raised "serious concern" in the U.S. Congress. They warned that there would be "harmful consequences" for Indian children if the charity ceases its operations in the country.

"We are writing because we believe the Ministry of Home Affairs has issued an inter-bank circular preventing all commercial banks in India from processing CI's wire transfers without prior ministry approval," the lawmakers wrote.

"As a result, Compassion is unable to process the funds it needs to continue. ... Many of our constituents, who have built emotional attachments through years of building relationships with these kids, are devastated by this wrenching cutoff," they continued.

The letter, dated March 21, was spearheaded by House Foreign Affairs Committee chairman Ed Royce (R-Calif.) and Ranking Member Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.), according to India West.

"Having seen the important poverty alleviation work being done by CI, it is our sincere hope that this situation can be resolved quickly by your issuing a temporary reprieve," the letter stated, adding that the reprieve would allow the charity to continue its programs in India until a more permanent solution can be found in accord with the country's laws.

Earlier this month, Compassion International President and CEO Santiago Mellado told Christianity Today that the Indian government made changes to the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act in 2011 so that it could regulate non-governmental organizations it disagrees with philosophically.

This was not the first time Compassion has been forced to leave a country. It pulled out of Indonesia in 1985 after serving the country for 17 years, citing its "commitment to financial integrity." It was able to start its operations in the country again in 1988, with some help from local pastors.