Itanagar: The leaders of Arunachal Christian Forum (ACF) met state Home Minister Mama Natung on Friday to discuss their concerns amid ongoing protests against the Arunachal Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act (APFRA), 1978.
A senior official from the Arunachal Pradesh Home Department said that the Home Minister had earlier requested the ACF to suspend their agitation and invited them for a discussion at the state’s civil secretariat to discuss their demands.
Notably, the ACF has been agitating against the implementation of the APFRA, 1978 claiming that the law, when implemented, would harm the Christians in the state.
Addressing the media at the Civil Secretariat in Itanagar, ACF President Tarh Miri said that the discussion did not yield any concrete outcomes.
The ACF announced it will continue its democratic movement against the Act with a protest near the Legislative Assembly on March 6, the first day of the budget session.
The ACF’s opposition to the APFRA, 1978, has led to intensified protests, including an eight-hour hunger strike at NIIS Nyokum Ground in Naharlagun Circle on February 17.
According to the 2011 Census, Christians make up 30.26% (4.19 lakh) of Arunachal Pradesh’s 13.84 lakh population, and the Forum believes that implementing the Act could threaten religious freedoms.
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Meanwhile, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu said that the rules were not intended to target any religious community but to safeguard the indigenous culture and beliefs of the people.
APFRA, which was enacted when Prem Khandu Thungan was the chief minister, aims to curb religious conversions through inducement or fraudulent means. Violations of the act carry penalties, including imprisonment of up to two years and a fine of up to Rs 10,000.
