Staff Reporter
ITANAGAR, 16 Feb: The Arunachal Christian Forum (ACF) has appealed to the government to resolve the Tawang church issue and to give directives to the district administration on the matter.
A formal letter regarding this has been submitted to Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Tuesday, the ACF said.
Speaking to reporters here at the Arunachal Press Club on Wednesday, ACF president Toko Teki informed that the final sitting for the issue was held on Tuesday under the chairmanship of Environment & Forest Minister Mama Natung.
Accordingly, a three-member team, composed of Natung himself, MLA cum Advisor to Home Affairs Nyamar Karbak and Taliha MLA Nyato Dukam will be submitting the report after celebrating the Nyokum festival.
The committee had visited Tawang in November 2021.
Speaking on the demand for Christians to surrender their ST status, Teki referred to the 1975 circular issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs, wherein it states that if a person claims to be a scheduled tribe, he or she may profess any religion as notified by the Government of India.
Teki also referred to a petition from the state of Kerela vs the SupremeĀ Court headed by Judge BN Khare, SK Kapadia and SB Sinha, which observed that ‘merely by a change of religion, a person does not cease to be a scheduled tribe.’