Arunachal: IFCSAP intensifies protest over APFRA’s notification delay
IFCSAP staged a two-day silent fast in Itanagar demanding immediate notification of APFRA rules, which have been pending since the Act’s passage in 1978.
ITANAGAR- The Indigenous Faith and Cultural Society of Arunachal Pradesh (IFCSAP) on Friday concluded the second day of its unique two-day “maun vrat” (silent fast and dharna) outside the Civil Secretariat here, demanding immediate notification of rules for the Arunachal Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act (APFRA), 1978.
Hundreds of members, including women and students, sat in complete silence for 12 hours each day (6 am to 6 pm) on November 27 and 28, wearing black armbands and displaying placards that read “Notify APFRA Rules Now” and “Protect Indigenous Faith and Culture.” No slogans were shouted and no speeches delivered, marking a departure from conventional protests.
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Speaking after breaking the silence on Friday evening, IFCSAP president Gichik Taho said the organisation had been compelled to adopt escalating forms of agitation because successive governments have failed to frame and notify the rules even 47 years after the Act was passed by the then Arunachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly.
“The APFRA was enacted in 1978 specifically to safeguard the indigenous faiths and cultures of Arunachal Pradesh from forced and induced conversions. Without notified rules, the Act remains a toothless paper tiger,” Taho told reporters.
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He pointed out that IFCSAP had earlier organised a state-wide “black badge campaign” on November 7 and submitted memoranda to the Chief Minister, Governor, and all 60 MLAs. “Since no concrete assurance has come despite repeated promises, we are left with no option but to intensify our democratic protest,” he added.
The organisation has announced that if the rules are not notified soon, stronger agitation programmes will be launched across the state, including during the celebration of IFCSAP Foundation Day in 2025.Sources in the Home Department confirmed that a draft of the rules was prepared several years ago and has been pending cabinet approval. Officials declined to give a specific timeline, citing “procedural formalities.”
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The Arunachal Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act, 1978, prohibits conversion from one religion to another by use of force, inducement, or fraudulent means and makes such conversions punishable. However, successive governments have cited administrative and legal complexities in framing the implementing rules.
The ongoing protest has drawn support from several tribal organisations and student bodies who fear that delay in notifying the rules leaves indigenous faiths vulnerable in a state where over 30 distinct tribes follow their traditional belief systems.
