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ITANAGAR, Jul 13:Chief Minister Pema Khandu today assured a delegation of Indigenous Faith and Cultural Society of Arunachal Pradesh (IFCSAP) which called on him to review the statement that he made on June 28th regarding the Freedom of Religion Act 1978.
CM Khandu on Friday assured that the state government will consider views and suggestions of every stakeholder through wider consultations with regard to the Arunachal Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act 1978.
In the first of consultations held today with the Indigenous Faith and Cultural Society of Arunachal Pradesh (IFCSAP), the Chief Minister reiterated that the state government will stick to its secular principles and therefore consult with every stakeholder before taking any decision on the Act.
“This is a government of the people and every decision taken will be in consultation with the people,” he said.
The Chief Minister also observed that the said Act needs to be studied in detail to understand its implications, which at the outset does not discriminate any religion but actually safeguards the secular spirit of the Indian Constitution.
Khandu recently kickstarted a controversy when he said the Arunachal Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act 1978 - framed 40 years ago to check proselytisation - undermined secularism and was probably targeted at Christians.
Tribal groups in the state are against repealing the act. Indigenous Faith and Cultural Society of Arunachal Pradesh and the Nyishi Indigenous Faiths and Cultural Society had said the talk on scrapping the act amounted to minority appeasement.
According to 2011 census, Arunachal Pradesh’s population is 30.26 % Christian, 29.04 % Hindu and 26.2 % other religions.
Kenter Joya Riba
(Managing Editor)She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313
