BJP Government In Arunachal Pradesh Wants To Repeal Forty Year-Old Anti-Conversion Law

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Arunachal Pradesh, led by Chief Minister Pema Khandu is mulling over repealing a forty year-old anti-conversion law, claiming that it is undermining secularism and probably targeted towards Christians, reports Hindustan Times.

The state had enacted the Arunachal Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act in 1978, making it the third state after Odisha and Madhya Pradesh to do so. Odisha had enacted a law in 1967 and Madhya Pradesh in 1968.

Khandu said that the law would be tabled in the next assembly session so that it could be repealed. He said that it could be misused in future by “irresponsible officials”.

Khandu was speaking at an even organised by the Arunchal Pradesh Catholic Association to mark the tenth death anniversary of Reverend Brother Prem Bhai who died in Sri Lanka in 2008. Prem Bhai spent 25 years proselytising in the northeastern state where predatory conversions have become an issue recently.

In 2001, Christians formed the third largest group in Arunachal Pradesh with 18.7 per cent of the population. In 2011, they had become the largest group with 30.26 per cent of the population.

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