[ Bengia Ajum ]
ITANAGAR, 16 Feb: The Arunachal Christian Forum (ACF) has accepted the invitation for a discussion on the contentious issue of the implementation of the Arunachal Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act (APFRA), 1978, sent by Home Minister Mama Natung.
Talking to this daily, ACF president Tarh Miri said that the ACF would honour the invitation and hold a discussion with the home minister on 21 February.
Earlier, on Sunday, the home minister sent a letter to the ACF, inviting its members for a discussion regarding the APFRA, on 21 February. The move came after the ACF had announced a hunger strike on 17 February to protest the government’s decision to implement the Act. Further, the home minister requested the ACF to call off the proposed hunger strike.
However, the ACF president clarified that the forum will proceed with the hunger strike. “We will continue the hunger strike. There should not be any confusion in this regard. This is our right to register a protest. We are appealing for a complete recall of this Act,” said Miri.
The ACF, which is opposing the move to implement the APFRA in the state, recently announced a series of agitations, calling for the repeal of this Act. In the first phase, starting on 10 February, a weeklong fasting and prayer event was held across the state in protest. The ACF also announced that if the government does not heed its demand, it would stage a gherao of the state assembly on 6 March during the Assembly session.
This move by the ACF follows comments made by Chief Minister Pema Khandu in the last week of December 2024 during a programme, where he informed that the APFRA – dormant until now – would soon have its rules framed and implemented in the state.
In September 2024, two judges of the Gauhati High Court (Itanagar bench) ordered the state government to finalise the draft rules of the Act within six months while closing a public interest litigation filed by advocate Tambo Tamin.
