Monday Musing
[ Bengia Ajum ]
The events of the last few days show that Arunachal Pradesh is truly on its way to becoming one of those Hindi heartland states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, or Madhya Pradesh. Due to the widespread use of Hindi in the state, Arunachal is often jokingly called the ‘UP or Bihar of the Northeast’. But now, judging by recent developments, we seem to be genuinely moving in that direction.
Religious and political intolerance has been rising in the state. In a shocking statement, minister Ojing Tasing, during an election campaign rally, said that panchayat areas that do not vote for the BJP will not receive funds from the Panchayat Department, of which he is the minister. The opposition and citizens strongly criticised this remark. Such blatant threats directed at opposition candidates in full public view are not something Arunachal is used to.
Once known as a deeply secular state, Aruna-chal’s secular fabric is today under threat from various directions. A disturbing pattern of youths visiting mosques and harassing Muslims has begun to emerge. They claim that they are identifying illegal Bangladeshi migrants to drive them out of the state, but videos have surfaced showing some of them forcing Muslims to chant slogans like ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’. Such acts harm the image of the state and may put the lives of Arunachalee citizens living in other states at risk. No one should be forced to chant slogans to prove their nationalism. People have every right to raise concerns about illegal mosque construction or illegal Bangladeshi entry, but Indian Muslims with valid documents should not be harassed.
Another disturbing incident occurred on Saturday in West Siang district, where villagers reportedly stopped people from celebrating Advent Christmas. The timely intervention of the West Siang administration brought the situation under control, and the administration deserves praise for it. The Christian community claims that they had taken prior permission from the district administration for the celebration. As India is a secular country, people have every right to celebrate their religious festivals in public spaces as long as they have the required permission and do not cause public inconvenience. Therefore, stopping the Christian believers from celebrating Christmas was wrong. The West Siang administration should investigate the matter properly and take action against those responsible for provoking religious tension, which could have taken an ugly turn.
This is just one incident, but Arunachal is increasingly witnessing uneasiness as religious tensions between Christians and indigenous faith followers grow. There is deep mistrust between the two communities, further fueled by the influence of outsiders. Both Christian and Hindu missionaries are contributing to the hostility through their distorted interpretations of tribal faith, culture, and traditions. It is time for tribal leaders of both Christian and indigenous faith communities to sit together and hold an open conversation.
Another worrying trend is the behaviour of some student leaders, who seem to imitate the exaggerated heroism of south Indian movie stars, presenting themselves as larger-than-life figures. Their conduct and the language they use in public forums are shameful and diminish the dignity of the student organisations they represent.
With rising religious tension, political intolerance, and a high level of corruption, Arunachal is indeed at risk of turning into another Hindi heartland state. Before it is too late, we need to arrest this slide.
