The Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC) has issued an open letter to Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu, expressing “deep concern regarding the initiation of your government to revisit the Anti-Conversion Bill of 1978.” In the letter, Rev Dr Zelhou Keyho, General Secretary of the NBCC, emphasized the historical and cultural ties between the people of Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh, urging the Chief Minister to consider the broader impact of the bill on religious freedom and regional harmony.
In the letter, Dr Keyho highlighted that “India’s Freedom of Religion Acts, or ‘Anti-Conversion’ laws, are state-level statutes that have been enacted to regulate religious conversions,” noting that Arunachal Pradesh is the only Northeastern state with such a law alongside Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Uttarakhand.
The letter recalled how the bill was not implemented successfully in the past, stating, “The region has come out strong in protest of the Act because politics was at play at that time to suppress the people of Arunachal and the region.” Dr Keyho argued that the original intent of the Anti-Conversion Bill was “not to preserve the traditional religion but to suppress a particular religious group of those days.”
Cautioning against a revival of the bill, Dr Keyho wrote, “It is unfortunate that after an elapse of over four decades, the State has come to the spotlight once again.” He warned of the potential consequences, saying, “We do not need to mention how the law is misused to unnecessarily persecute the Christians in other parts of the country.”
The letter further urged Chief Minister Khandu to reflect on the historical opposition to the bill, emphasizing that “the reason why the Bill was not fully implemented was not because of any technical interpretation but because there was strong opposition in your State and the region.”
Responding to Khandu’s previous statement that the Act aims “to protect traditional religions” and does not target any specific group, the NBCC questioned, “You have the responsibility to also explain to your people where the bullet will fall if there is no target?”
Dr Keyho argued that the preservation of indigenous heritage should be approached differently, stating, “Anti-Conversion Act cannot be used to preserve indigenous heritage which in itself is a totally different matter.” He urged the Arunachal government to find “a proper clause to preserve and protect the beautiful heritage of your culture and heritage” without infringing on religious freedom.
The NBCC expressed apprehension over the political motivations behind reviving the bill, describing it as “harnessing a bad Act that did not work for decades is bad politics,” and suggesting that “the intention can only be assumed.”
In a heartfelt appeal, the letter stated, “We implore you to be sensitive to the Christians who have relentlessly stood on behalf of the region to repeal the Bill so that it will not become an Act that will become an offense and punishable in the court of law.”
Dr Keyho further emphasized the importance of regional unity and peaceful coexistence, asserting, “Our region is a peace-loving region, and we must co-exist together.” He called on Chief Minister Khandu to “listen to the restless and stirred moments of the past week” and to prioritize “secularism and religious freedom under the Fundamental Rights.”