Arunachal Pradesh means the "Land of the Dawn-Lit Mountains" because, being in the easternmost part of India, it is the first part of the county to be kissed by the rays of the rising sun. But now sinister dark clouds hover over Arunachal.

This March 6, thousands of Arunachalis organised peaceful prayer rallies in different parts of the State, protesting against the impending revival/implementation of the Arunachal Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act (APFRA) 1978. This included a rally organised by the Christian Forum of Bordumsa at St Joseph's Church, Rajanagar, in the Changlang district. An even bigger rally of about 20,000 was held in the Arunachal capital of Itanagar, where several former Ministers also participated.

This Act was passed in 1978, but it gathered dust for 46 years until it was resurrected by a petition filed in the Guwahati High Court seeking the framing of rules for implementing the abovementioned Act. I have a personal connection with Arunachal because my wife, Meera, worked there as a government teacher for some years circa 1980. Together, we re-visited the State in 2018 for the death anniversary of my former colleague Prembhai, whom my wife was instrumental in bringing to Arunachal.

Bakin Pertin, a former Arunachal MP and member of the National Minorities Commission, gave me a copy of this Act in 1990 during my first tenure as the National President of the All India Catholic Union.

I was also present at Prembhai's Banderdewa Ashram when Sri Pema Khandu, Chief Minister of Arunachal, announced to thunderous applause that the APFRA would be repealed in the very next session of the State legislature. That was 7 years ago. Contrary to what the CM had then solemnly announced, this Act seeks to be implemented through the back door. The modus operandi is similar to what happened in neighbouring Manipur State two years ago.

At that time, the Scheduled Tribe Demand Committee of Manipur for Meiteis had filed a plea in the same High Court seeking Scheduled Caste status for the non-tribal Meiteis, mostly Hindus. Interestingly, Hinduism came to Manipur just a couple of centuries ago, preceded by Islam via Bengal.

We know all too well what happened in Manipur after the High Court order. The State went up in flames, causing a deep ethnic divide that resulted in the murder and rape of hundreds of Manipuris and the displacement of thousands of tribal Kukis. But as the Prophet Hosea says, "If you sow the wind, you will reap a whirlwind" (Hos 8:7). It resulted in Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh being ultimately booted out, placing the State under the President's Rule. It was widely believed that Biren Singh was brazenly partisan. He was likened to Emperor Nero fiddling while Rome burnt.

Will Arunachal go the Manipur way? Perish the thought. There is still time to learn from recent errors. On November 24, 2024, the Arunachal Christian Forum submitted a Memorandum to the CM emphatically stating that Arunachal was a peaceful State with no forced conversion cases. Then why this Act? Because of its ambiguous wording, it could be misused or abused. This Memorandum was signed by the Forum President Tarh Miri and its General Secretary James Techi Tara.

The North East Catholic Research Forum also submitted a Memorandum to the CM of Arunachal on February 12, 2025, expressing similar concerns. It was signed by John Shilshi IPS (R) and 45 top academicians and lay leaders from across the North East. The Act is ostensibly meant to protect tribal traditions. The reality is that the Catholic Church, in particular, has been at the forefront of actively promoting, not just protecting, such traditions. I recall that 44 years ago, my wife was assisting Rev Kulandai in preparing an initial English-Nishi dictionary for the people, as it was one of the major tribal languages. Notably, there are 26 major tribes and over 100 sub-tribes in Arunachal.

In light of the above, it is hoped that the Arunachal government will not take any foolhardy step that could jeopardise the peaceful coexistence of the Arunachali people by trying to ram this Act down their throats. I appeal to the CM and all the legislators to rise above party lines or ideologies in the best interest of the State and the nation.