Freedom of Religion Act: Arunachal govt, Christian forum talks end in stalemate

Itanagar, Feb 22: Efforts to resolve the dispute between the state government and the Christian community over the Arunachal Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act (APFRA) hit a deadlock, with talks failing to bring any concrete resolution.

A consultative meeting held at the State Civil Secretariat on Friday saw senior government officials, including Home Minister Mama Natung and Law Minister Kento Jini, engage in discussions with representatives of the Arunachal Christian Forum (ACF).

However, despite extensive deliberations that went on for hours, no consensus was reached.

Following the meeting, Home Minister Natung stressed that the law does not discriminate against any community. "We have invited the ACF to suggest modifications to address their concerns, but repealing the Act is not an option," he stated, urging people not to spread misinformation about the law’s intent.

Despite the government’s appeal, ACF leaders rejected any amendments, maintaining that the law must be scrapped entirely. "We do not see any protection for Christians in the Act. While the Chief Minister says Christians are indigenous, the law does not reflect that," said ACF general secretary James Techi Tara.

For some time now, the ACF has been staging a hunger strike, demanding the complete repeal of the Act, which they claim "unfairly targets" Christians.

The state government, however, has insisted that the APFRA is meant to protect indigenous religious practices and does not single out any faith.

Earlier, Chief Minister Pema Khandu had reiterated that the APFRA is not directed against any religion, urging the public to avoid misinterpreting its provisions. However, with the ACF refusing to participate in further discussions unless the Act is repealed, the standoff appears far from over.