BJP government in Arunachal Pradesh plans to repeal anti-conversion law

Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Pema Khandu said the law against conversions could undermine secularism and is probably targeted towards Christians

Updated on: Jun 30, 2018, 12:03:12 IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | By Utpal Parashar

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

Arunachal Pradesh is likely to repeal a four-decade-old that seeks to curb religious conversions as it could “undermine secularism”.

Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh Pema Khandu at Kala Wangpo Convention Hall in Itanagar. (PTI File Photo)

The state passed the Arunachal Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act in 1978, becoming the third state in the country after Odisha (1967) and Madhya Pradesh (1968) to do so.

“The law could undermine secularism and is probably targeted towards Christians,” Chief Minister Pema Khandu, who heads the state’s BJP government, said on Thursday.

Khandu was speaking at a function organised by the Arunachal Pradesh Catholic Association to mark the 10th death anniversary of Reverend Brother Prem Bhai, a Benedictine missionary.

Khandu said the law would be brought before the next assembly session for repeal as “it could be misused in future by irresponsible officials”.

“Any misuse of the law leading to torture of people could trigger large scale violence in the state and could break Arunachal into pieces,” Khandu stated.

Brother Prem Bhai who died in Sri Lanka in 2008 had spent 25 years proselytizing in Arunachal Pradesh despite repeated arrests and imprisonment under the existing law which subjected people to two years of imprisonment and Rs 10,000 as fine.

Efforts of missionaries like Brother Prem and others have led to Christianity becoming Arunachal Pradesh’s largest religion over the past decades.

As per the 2001 census, Christians were the third largest religious group in the state comprising 18.7% of the total population—behind Hindus (34.6%) and others (30.07%).

In 2011, Christians emerged as the largest religious group (30.26%) followed by Hindus (29.04%) and others (26.20%).

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Utpal Parashar
A seasoned senior journalist, I have nearly three decades of experience across print, digital, and online platforms, covering political transitions, insurgencies, environmental issues, and development stories in India and Nepal. I am skilled in breaking news, leading editorial teams and launch of newspaper editions. I am adept at leveraging digital trends and social media to expand global reach, with a strong ethical foundation and a reputation for impactful journalism. An alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, I joined Hindustan Times in New Delhi as a trainee reporter in May 1997. Over the years, I have been posted in Dehradun, Kathmandu (Nepal) and Guwahati. Currently, as Senior Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times, I lead a team reporting on India’s northeastern states. My work involves in-depth analysis, and engaging multimedia storytelling across formats, including text, photo, video, and interactive content. I am skilled in producing timely, shareable content, leveraging digital platforms and social media to engage global audiences. Throughout my career with the Hindustan Times, I have led diverse editorial teams, designed capacity-building activities, and supported reporters in developing strong story ideas, ethical reporting practices, digital skills, and fact-checking techniques. As Senior Assistant Editor for Northeast India, I have been responsible for guiding correspondents through complex political, humanitarian, and community-level stories using multimedia formats. Earlier, as Foreign Correspondent in Nepal, I produced extensive reporting during Nepal’s democratic transition and the 2015 earthquake and its aftermath.Read More

Get the latest India News, breaking headlines and real-time updates from across the country. Stay informed about politics, government policies, crime, weather and major national developments.