Opinion National Interest PoV 50-Word Edit

ThePrint On Camera Videos In Pictures

Society & Culture Around Town Book Excerpts Vigyapanti The Dating Story

More Judiciary Education YourTurn Work With Us Campus Voice

Opinion National Interest PoV 50-Word Edit

ThePrint On Camera Videos In Pictures

Society & Culture Around Town Book Excerpts Vigyapanti The Dating Story

More Judiciary Education YourTurn Work With Us Campus Voice

Why Arunachal’s anti-conversion law has become Pema Khandu’s biggest political tightrope

Arunachal Pradesh’s demographic transformation has reopened old questions over the survival of indigenous communities and religious freedom.

An Arunachal Pradesh Act, passed unanimously by its legislature 48 years ago, when it was still a Union Territory, has stirred the hornet’s nest.

The Arunachal Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act, 1978 (Act No 4 of 1978)—one of India’s earliest state-level anti-conversion laws—was enacted during the tenure of the state’s first Chief Minister Prem Khandu Thungon to ‘protect the socio-cultural fabric and indigenous practices of local tribal communities from external religious influences’. However, although it remained on the statute book, the rules were never notified, thereby nullifying their practical implementation.

Meanwhile, in August 2017, the current CM Pema Khandu approved the establishment of a new Department of Indigenous Faith & Cultural Affairs (DIFCA). He said, “Creation of an independent department to look after preservation, protection and promotion of the state’s rich indigenous cultural heritage is a right step in the wake of a fast-changing world. We cannot let our indigenous culture just fade away like many in the world.” 

The department was tasked with work relating to promotion of local languages, scripts and literature on indigenous folklores, folk tales, proverbs, chanting of priests; preservation and promotion of indigenous cultural heritage for overall prosperity and constant growth; maintenance of welfare schemes for indigenous priests and priesthood institutions; documentation of ritual systems of traditional marriages, birth, death and festivals and research on traditional medicinal plants and healing system; introduction of certificate courses on indigenous faiths and culture of the state; to preserve and promote indigenous games and sports by conducting tournaments and related activities. 

This was welcomed by the Indigenous Faith and Cultural Society of Arunachal Pradesh (IFCSAP), the apex non-political socio-cultural organisation, founded in 1999, and dedicated to protecting, preserving, and promoting the ancestral spiritual traditions and cultural heritage of the indigenous tribes of Arunachal Pradesh. However, this did not abate the conversion momentum, for the state has witnessed a visible demographic transition, especially in Christianity. 

IFCSAP pointed out that while the Christian population of the state was 0.79 per cent in 1971, it rose to 4.32 per cent in 1981, but by 2021, it had become the largest single denomination in the state with 30.6 per cent adherents. This was followed by Hinduism at 29 per cent, indigenous faiths—Doniyo Polo, Rangfrah, Ringya Jawmalu, Nani Intaye and Nyezi Ho—at 27 per cent and the different sects of Buddhism at about 12 per cent.

Distribution of faiths 

Let us now discuss the district-wise distribution of faiths across the state, starting with the indigenous traditions, followed by Vaishnavism (Hinduism), Buddhism and Christianity.

Donyi-Polo (The Sun and........

© ThePrint