[Bengia Ajum]
ITANAGAR, 8 Aug: Following a huge uproar over the formation of the All Arunachal Pradesh Tribal Muslim Youths’ Forum, its executive members on Thursday announced the forum’s dissolution.
Ever since a notice about the formation of the forum started making the rounds on social media, there has been relentless trolling of its members, and its executive members started receiving threatening and abusive calls.
Addressing the media at the Arunachal Press Club here on Thursday, the chairman of the now disbanded forum, Giah Limpeah, said that they decided to dissolve the organisation after strong objection to it from the people of the state.
“We respect the people’s sentiment and therefore dissolved the organisation as Arunachalis seem to be apprehensive about it. But it was formed to work for the welfare of tribals who follow the Islamic religion. People misunderstood, thinking that we would support non-APST Muslims, and that we might support illegal Bangladeshi Muslim immigrants, which is wrong,” said Limpeah.
He urged the people to stop making threatening calls to the executive members, and added that “religion is a personal choice and no one has the right to question those who choose Islam as their religion.
“People should understand that we live in a democratic country. I have the right to follow whatever religion I like. My grandfather and my father were Donyi Polo priests. During my early days, I even attended church. But I found peace in Islam and therefore converted to it. But I am first a Nyishi and a tribal. I will never work against the indigenous tribal people,” he added.
Limpeah, who hails from Tali in Kra Daadi district, said that he converted to Islam in 2012 and since then has been living as a Muslim.
He alleged that “certain sections of people have spread hatred against the followers of Islam in Arunachal.”
“By embracing Islam, we did not commit any crime. I have the freedom to choose the religion of my choice,” he said.
