Staff Reporter
ITANAGAR, 21 Feb: The logjam between the state government and the Christian community over the controversial Arunachal Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act (APFRA) continues despite the government’s reaching out to the Christians to resolve the issue.
The first consultative meeting between the state government – led by Home Minister Mama Natung, Law Minister Kento Jini, the home minister’s adviser and Koloriang MLA Pani Taram, Itanagar MLA Techi Kaso, Indigenous Affairs Secretary Pige Ligu, and Law Additional Secretary Ginium Bomjen – at the civil secretariat here on Friday with 15 members of the Arunachal Christian Forum (ACF), led by its president Tarh Miri and general secretary James Techi Tara, was inconclusive, as no concreted resolution was arrived at.
The ACF is on a hunger strike, demanding scrapping of the APFRA, saying that the Act solely targets the Christians of the state. The government on its part has offered an olive branch to the agitating Christian community, clarifying that the APFRA is not against any religion but for safeguarding the religions being followed by the indigenous tribes of the state.
On the sidelines of the meeting, speaking to mediapersons, Natung informed that it was the first consultative meeting with the ACF members.
“We have thoroughly discussed the issue and the Act’s provisions. There is no provision in the Act which targets any particular religion,” he said.
Natung informed that the government had sought the ACF leaders’ suggestions to incorporate them in the Act, so that the Christians don’t feel deprived and targeted.
“Instead of demanding scrapping of the APFRA, we appealed to the ACF leaders to give us suggestions,so that their suggestions could be incorporated in the Act to ensure that no religious group feels deprived and targeted,” Natung added.
“Our doors for discussion and suggestions on the Act are always open. Without discussion, no Act is going to be implemented arbitrarily,” he said.
The home minister also appealed to the people not to misinterpret the Act and spread misinformation without knowing the provisions of the Act.
However, the ACF leaders hardened their stance,saying that their demand for repealing of the Act would remain and they would not turn up again for any consultation with regard to amending the Act, stressing that it should be repealed.
“We will not term today’s meeting successful or unsuccessful. Where is Christian protection in the Act? Though the CM said that Christian people are also indigenous, the Act says otherwise,” said Tara.
Earlier, in his Statehood Day speech, Chief Minister Pema Khandu had clarified that the APFRA is not against any religion in the state. “The APFRA is not against any religion. The public is appealed not to misinterpret the Act,” said Khandu, while appealing to the public not to misinterpret the APFRA.
