By chhotebhai
Kanpur, March 7, 2025: Arunachal Pradesh means the “Land of the Rising Sun,” because, being in the eastern most part of India. It is the first part of the county to be kissed by the rays of the rising sun. But now sinister dark clouds hover over Arunachal. Why?
This March 6, thousands of Arunachalis in different parts of the state organized peaceful prayer rallies in protest against the impending revival or implementation of the Arunachal Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act (APFRA) 1978.
This included a rally organised by the Christian Forum of Bordumsa at St Joseph’s Church, Rajanagar, Changlang district. An even bigger rally of about 20,000 was held in the Arunachal capital of Itanagar, where several former ministers also participated.
It may be recalled that this Act was passed in 1978, but it gathered dust for 46 years until it was resurrected by a petition filed in the Guwahati High Court seeking framing of rules for implementation of the aforesaid Act.
A copy of this Act was given to me in 1990 by former Arunachal Member of Parliament, Bakin Pertin, who was then a member of the National Minorities Commission, during my first tenure as the national president of the All India Catholic Union.
I was present at Prembhai’s Banderdewa Ashram when Pema Khandu, chief minister of Arunachal, announced to thunderous applause that the APFRA would be repealed in the very next session of the state legislature. That was seven years ago.
Now, contrary to what the chief minister had then solemnly announced, this Act is seeking to be implemented through the back door. The modus operandi is similar to what happened in neighbouring Manipur State two years ago.
At that time the Scheduled Tribe Demand Committee of Manipur for Meiteis had filed a plea in the same high court seeking Scheduled Caste status for the non-tribal Meiteis, who are mostly Hindus. Interestingly, Hinduism came to Manipur just a couple of centuries ago, preceded by Islam via Bengal.
We know all too well what happened in Manipur after the High Court order. The state went up in flames causing a deep ethnic divide that resulted in the murder and rape of hundreds of Manipuris and the displacement of thousands of tribal Kukis.
But as the Prophet Hosea says, “If you sow the wind, you will reap a whirlwind” (Hos 8:7), it resulted in the chief justice of the High Court being summarily removed. Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh was also ultimately booted out, placing the state under President’s Rule. It was widely believed that Biren Singh was brazenly partisan. He was likened to Emperor Nero fiddling while Rome burnt.
Will Arunachal go the Manipur way? Perish the thought. There is still time to learn from recent errors. The Arunachal Christian Forum submitted a memorandum to the chief minister on November 24, 2024, emphatically stating that Arunachal was a peaceful state and there were no cases of forced conversion.
Then why this act? Because of its ambiguous wording it had the potential to be misused or abused. This memorandum was signed by the forum president Tarh Miri and its general secretary James Techi Tara.
The North East Catholic Research Forum also submitted a memorandum to the Arunachal chief minister on February 12, expressing similar concerns. It was signed by John Shilshi, a retired police officer, and 45 top academicians and lay leaders from across northeastern India.
The Act is ostensibly meant to protect tribal traditions. The reality is that the Catholic Church in particular has been in the forefront of actively promoting, not just protecting, such traditions.
In the light of the above it is hoped that the Arunachal government will not take any foolhardy step that could jeopardise the peaceful co-existence of the Arunachali people, by trying to ram this Act down their throats. I appeal to the CM and all the legislators to rise above party lines or ideologies, in the best interest of the State and the nation.
(The writer is the Convenor of the Indian Catholic Forum.)
According to Census-2001, Arunachal Pradesh had a Christian population of 205,548 persons (18.72%). In 2011 census Christian population showed an encouraging increase to 418,732 persons (30.26%). After that the central government hasn’t conducted any census, ostensibly due to Covid-19. We don’t know what the outcome will be in the new census (likely in 2026?). It is quite possible the think-tank in the seat of powers are wary of a possible upward trend and in a bid to arrest this possible trend, might justify rise to “Conversion” through “misrepresentation, force, undue influence, coercion, allurement (promise of free education, employment, better lifestyle or even divine pleasure) or by any other fraudulent means.” No wonder Arunachal Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act (APFRA), 1978, having been in hibernation for 46 years, is being resurrected now. Logically, it should have died a natural death.
The three Farmers’ Bills met a similar fate / were stillborn and made PM Modi publicly apologize to the farmers, thanks to very strong farmers agitation and international reaction. It’s high time Christians of Arunachal Pradesh with strong support from its sister states, make the Arunachal Pradesh State Government / Assembly withdraw the Bill.
It’s highly likely that some strings are being pulled in Guwahati by HB & Co!
The million dollar question is who is the petitioner who raked up the issue in September 2024, in the Itanagar Bench of the Gauhati High Court? How could the judge, after hearing the petition, order the government to frame rules for the anti-conversion law within six months, knowing full well about the Central Government/ Parliament’s withdrawal/roll back of the three Farm Laws? It’s good Christians of Arunachal Pradesh were alert to this Manipur High Court like surreptitious move and have decided to take the bull by its horns.