A provocative video purportedly shot by a group of Christian believers torching an altar, images and other materials used by followers of the indigenous faith (Donyi-Poloism) is making the rounds on social media. The incident reportedly took place in Seppa, in East Kameng district. The Indigenous Faith and Cultural Society of Arunachal Pradesh has condemned the incident and sought action in this regard. The Seppa police are probing the incident and hopefully police will take action as per the law. However, the incident should be a wakeup call for the people of the state.
Over the years, tribal people have adopted new religions like Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, etc. Arunachal being a secular state, nobody has objected to people embracing different faiths as per their choice. However, in recent years, radicalism is growing among the tribal people, based on religion, which is a matter of deep concern. For a society which has always espoused liberal values, radicalism is a major threat. It is time for the community-based organizations and the various religious bodies to come together and find a way for peaceful existence without hurting the religious sentiments of others. The constitution gives freedom to the people to propagate the faith of their choice. The same constitution seeks respect for others’ faith. In a sensitive tribal state like Arunachal, the people should be careful with words and actions. It is in the interest of the state that the people respect religion and tribal sentiment of one another.