Guwahati: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on December 22 assured representatives of indigenous groups from Arunachal Pradesh that steps would be taken to frame rules under the Arunachal Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act, 1978, which has remained largely unimplemented for decades.
Shah gave the assurance during a meeting with a delegation of the Indigenous Faith and Cultural Society of Arunachal Pradesh (IFCSAP), led by its president Emi Rumi, at his official residence here. The delegation highlighted that the absence of notified rules had rendered the Act ineffective despite its enactment more than 40 years ago.
The IFCSAP sought the Home Minister’s intervention to expedite the process, stating that the delay had weakened legal safeguards meant to protect indi c genous faiths, cultures and traditions in the state.
In a statement issued later, the organisation welcomed Shah’s assurance and said the move would help strengthen protection of traditional belief systems in Arunachal Pradesh, where concerns over alleged forced or inducement-based religious conversions have been raised repeatedly.
The Arunachal Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act was enacted in 1978 during the tenure of then chief minister P K Thungon to curb conversions through force, inducement or fraudulent means. The law provides for penalties, including imprisonment of up to two years and a fine of up to Rs 10,000.
However, the Act has remained largely non-operational due to the absence of framed rules, prompting long-standing demands from indigenous groups for its implementation.