Itanagar: The Arunachal Christian Forum (ACF), a leading Christian body in Arunachal Pradesh, on Monday staged a mass hunger strike across multiple district and sub-divisional headquarters, demanding the repeal of the Arunachal Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act, 1978.
The forum termed the Act as “discriminatory” and “unconstitutional”.
The protest comes amid the state government’s decision to implement the law, which had remained dormant for decades, following a Gauhati high court directive in September 2024.
The participants held posters which had messages such as “we demand the repeal of APFRA,” “do not turn us against one another,” “there is no honour in enforcing APFRA.”
ACF president Tarh Miri claimed that APFRA violates the freedom of accepting faith and religious belief.
“We oppose this Act. Anti-conversion law is enforced in 11 states. This is only against Christianity,” he said.
James Techi Tara, ACF secretary general, claimed that the enforcement of APFRA would create hatred among people.
The Act was originally introduced to prevent forced religious conversions through coercion or inducement, and it prescribes strict penalties, including up to two years in prison and a fine of Rs 10,000, for violations.
Despite its existence for over four decades, it lacked the necessary framework for implementation, and the high court asked the state government to frame rules for the Act within six months, triggering renewed efforts for its enforcement.
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The ACF alleged that the law unfairly targets the Christian community, which constitutes 30.26% of the state’s population, as per the 2011 Census.
