Notify anti-conversion rules swiftly: Indigenous faith body to Arunachal govt

Itanagar: The Indigenous Faith & Cultural Society of Arunachal Pradesh (IFCSAP) on Monday urged the state govt to promptly notify the rules under the Arunachal Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act (APFRA), 1978, after a government-appointed High-Power Committee (HPC) submitted its report.

Talking to reporters, IFCSAP president Emi Rumi described the govt’s consultative process as democratic and transparent, and said the organisation expects the rules to be brought into force within a “reasonable timeframe” to meet statutory obligations.

Rumi said IFCSAP will monitor developments and, if needed, seek legal remedies to ensure compliance with the Gauhati High Court’s directives.

The APFRA, enacted in 1978 to regulate conversions carried out by force, inducement or fraudulent means, has remained largely non-operational for decades because the rules were never notified. IFCSAP said the absence of rules has left procedures, safeguards and enforcement mechanisms undefined, an issue it said it has repeatedly raised with successive governments.

IFCSAP also said repealing the 1978 Act was never part of the HPC’s mandate. It said the committee’s role was limited to implementing the Act and framing its rules, and did not extend to examining the validity of the parent legislation.

The organisation said it was surprised by opposing statements that surfaced toward the end of the drafting process, and noted that the Arunachal Christian Forum (ACF) had not objected to the framing of rules during proceedings before the Gauhati High Court.

Rejecting allegations that the proposed rules target any religious community, IFCSAP called the claims “misleading and unsupported by law”.

It said the rules, once notified, would be public documents intended to promote transparency and informed public discourse, and added they could be reviewed or amended by the government in the future to ensure peaceful coexistence.

Warning against pressure tactics, IFCSAP said attempts to delay or obstruct notification through public pressure at this stage would be counterproductive to the democratic consultation process.