KOHIMA, 23 Feb: The Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC) has expressed concern over the revival of an anti-conversion bill in Arunachal Pradesh.
In a letter addressed to Chief Minister Pema Khandu, NBCC general secretary Zelhou Keyho on Saturday urged Khandu to reconsider reintroducing the bill.
The NBCC claimed that the anti-conversion bill in Arunachal has been met with strong opposition due to concerns that the law could be misused to suppress particular religious groups.
The NBCC appealed to Khandu to be sensitive to the concerns of all communities in Arunachal.
“We pray and appeal to your good leadership to be sensitive and be considerate, taking the whole region in mind,” Keyho said.
Khandu had last Thursday said that the newly framed rules under the Arunachal Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act (APFRA), 1978 are not intended to target any religious community but to safeguard the indigenous cultures and beliefs of the people, regardless of religion.
Speaking at the Statehood Day celebrations on Thursday, Khandu emphasised that the formulation of these rules was in response to a directive from the high court.
He explained that while the Act has been in place for 46 years, it lacked a formal set of rules, which is now being addressed.
“The intention behind the new rules is not to target any specific religious group, be it Buddhists, Hindus, Christians, or Muslims, but rather to offer greater support to the indigenous people of the state,” Khandu said.
Khandu assured that the government will hold discussions with officials, stakeholders, and religious leaders to ensure a balanced and inclusive approach. (PTI)
