Almost 200,000 Christians gathered in Borum village, Arunachal Pradesh, India, on 6 March to protest the state’s anti-conversion law which the state government has been instructed to implement by the end of March.
The law, known as the Arunachal Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act (APFRA) was passed by the Legislative Assembly in 1978, but has not been implemented by successive governments. However, on 30 September 2024, the Gauhati High Court directed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led state government to finalise the rules of the legislation within six months, after a Public Interest Litigation was filed by Tambo Tamin, the former general secretary of the Indigenous Faith and Cultural Society of Arunachal Pradesh (IFCSAP).
On 17 February 2025 the Christian community in the state launched a series of protests against the APFRA under the banner of Arunachal Pradesh Christian Forum (APCF). Representatives from the community also met with the home minister of the state on 21 February in which they requested that the law would be repealed, however the minister informed them that the government must adhere to the high court order.
The APCF argues that the law is biased against Christians, who account for over 30% of the state’s population according to the 2011 census, and that it restricts the right to freedom of religion or belief.
The President of the APCF Tahr Miri told CSW: ‘Whosoever wants to convert has to obtain permission from the district administration before he or she can convert and take baptism. But if it is done without permission, then the priest or pastor conducting the baptism can face arrest and fine. This is against secularism and against our rights.’
The demography of Arunachal is predominantly comprised of communities belonging to the Scheduled Tribes. There are 26 major tribes and hundreds of other tribes.
Mr Miri added: ‘Among these tribes, there are few major religions such as Buddhism, indigenous religions and Christians. All these other religions are protected, but not Christians, even though we are also indigenous tribals. [The] argument [of indigenous faith groups] is that because people go to church, their traditional practices are being erased. But that's not true. We have the same practices even after converting to Christianity. We have only stopped practices of animism. All our other traditional practices are the same. We are planning a referendum rally. But the date is not confirmed. That is our next step of action.’
Eleven states in India currently enforce anti-conversion laws. These laws criminalise any conversion involving force, undue influence, allurement and misrepresentation, however their provisions have come under heavy criticism by human rights experts for their vague legal definitions and interpretation. In recent years they have also frequently been used by far-right religious groups to justify harassment, intimidation and attacks on members of religious minority communities who have been accused of carrying out illegal conversions.
CSW’s Founder President Mervyn Thomas said: ‘As we have seen in eleven other states in India, anti-conversion laws are unconstitutional. They undermine the fundamental human right to freedom of religion or belief and can act as dangerous drivers of communal tension. We call on the government of Arunachal Pradesh to heed the concerns of the state’s Christian community and not to implement the APFRA, and urge the governments of all states in which anti-conversion laws are already in place to repeal these laws and acquit anyone currently facing charges under them as a matter of urgency.’