Union Home Minister Amit Shah on December 22 assured representatives of indigenous groups from Arunachal Pradesh that the Centre would take necessary steps to frame the long-pending rules for the Arunachal Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act, offering fresh hope for the effective implementation of a law that has remained largely dormant for decades.
The assurance was given during a meeting at Shah’s official residence in New Delhi, where a delegation of the Indigenous Faith and Cultural Society of Arunachal Pradesh, led by its president Emi Rumi, met the Home Minister. During the interaction, the delegation explained that although the Act was passed in 1978, the absence of notified rules has made it almost impossible to enforce on the ground.
Members of the delegation told the Home Minister that the delay in framing rules has weakened legal safeguards meant to protect indigenous faiths, customs and cultural traditions in the state. They urged Shah to personally intervene so that the long-standing issue could finally be addressed.
In a statement issued after the meeting, IFCSAP described the Home Minister’s assurance as a positive and encouraging step for indigenous communities. The organisation said that proper implementation of the Act would help protect traditional belief systems and cultural practices, especially amid concerns over alleged forced or induced religious conversions in parts of the state.
The Arunachal Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act was enacted in 1978 during the tenure of former chief minister P K Thungon. Its objective was to prevent religious conversions through force, inducement or fraudulent means. The law provides for punishment of up to two years of imprisonment and a fine of up to Rs 10,000 for violations.
However, more than four decades after it became law, the Act has remained mostly non-functional due to the lack of rules.
