No discrimination, only protection against forced conversions: Arunachal minister on APFRA

Arunachal Pradesh Home Minister and Minister for the Department of Indigenous Affairs, Mama Natung, on January 27 addressed concerns surrounding the Arunachal Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act (APFRA), 1978, stating that the state government will soon frame new rules to operationalise the Act and ensure clarity in its implementation.

Speaking on the long-pending and often controversial legislation, Natung said the APFRA is intended to act as a protective shield for all religions in the state and is not designed to discriminate against any particular faith or community. He emphasised that the Act seeks to safeguard religious freedom by preventing forceful conversions carried out through inducement, allurement or coercion.

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The Home Minister said the proposed rules would clearly define procedures and safeguards to ensure that the law is implemented in a fair and transparent manner. He added that the objective of the Act is to maintain communal harmony and protect the indigenous religious and cultural practices of Arunachal Pradesh, while fully respecting the constitutional right of individuals to practise any religion of their choice.

Natung stressed that the government does not view the APFRA as being against any religion but rather as a legal mechanism to prevent misuse of religious conversion for ulterior motives. “The Act will support all religions by ensuring that faith remains a matter of free will and personal conviction,” he said.

The Arunachal Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act, enacted in 1978, aims to prohibit conversion from one religious faith to another by force, fraud or inducement. However, the absence of detailed rules has, over the years, led to debates and legal challenges regarding its enforcement. The state government’s move to frame fresh rules is expected to bring greater legal clarity and address long-standing concerns raised by various stakeholders.