On March 6, Christians in Arunachal Pradesh staged a massive protest against the Arunachal Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act (APFRA), which the government plans to implement soon. The protest was organized by the Arunachal Christian Forum (ACF), with participants rallying in Borum, near the state’s capital, Itanagar. Protesters expressed strong opposition to the APFRA, which was passed in 1978 but has never been fully implemented until now. The forum claims the law unfairly targets Christians and undermines their freedom of religion.
The protest saw over two lakh Christians coming together despite being denied permission to demonstrate outside the State Assembly. ACF President Tarh Miri argued that the APFRA curtails the religious freedoms of Christians, stating, “We are against the implementation of the APFRA because it is targeted at Christians.”
The situation became tense following a September 2024 order by the Itanagar Bench of the Gauhati High Court, which instructed the government to frame rules for the law’s implementation within six months. This ruling has led to growing concern among Christians, who feel threatened by the law.
The APFRA was originally passed during the tenure of Arunachal Pradesh’s first Chief Minister P.K. Thungon but was never implemented. In light of the court’s directive, the state government is now working on framing the law’s rules. Chief Minister Pema Khandu assured that the government was simply abiding by the court’s order, urging people not to misinterpret the law.
Despite the government’s stance, the ACF remains vocal in its opposition, continuing its protests, including an eight-hour hunger strike in February 2025. The forum’s leadership is determined to challenge the law itself, not just its rules, with ACF Secretary-General James Techi Tara stating, “We will speak on the Act and not the rules.”
This story was originally published in theobserverpost.com. Read the full story here.