In 1978, Arunachal Pradesh became the third Indian state to enact an anti-conversion law. The Arunachal Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act, 1978, had the explicit aim of “countering proselytisation by Christian missionaries”.
For four decades, however, the rules of the law were not notified because of how contentious it was.
In 2018, Chief Minister Pema Khandu even promised to repeal the law, arguing it “undermined secularism” and was biased against Christians.
But last December, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party government went back on its word. It announced that the rules of the 46-year-old legislation would be framed “to preserve indigenous faiths and cultures”.
Christian groups reacted sharply, warning that if implemented, it would “cause havoc and unrest and an unprecedented law and order situation in the entire state of Arunachal Pradesh”.
Protests for and against the bill are intensifying in the state. On March 6, thousands of Christians in Arunachal Pradesh gathered in Itanagar to protest the decision to implement the law, after they were denied permission to stage a protest at the Assembly.
This story was originally published in scroll.in. Read the full story here.