Staff REPORTER
ITANAGAR, Jun 3: Former minister Bida Taku has served a 15-day ultimatum to the state government, urging it to immediately halt the process of framing and notifying rules under the Arunachal Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act (APFRA), 1978.
Addressing reporters at the Arunachal Press Club here on Wednesday, Taku argued that the issue requires broader public consultation and in-depth discussion among all stakeholders before any final decision is taken. He also appealed to the government to consider a 10-day grace period to facilitate constructive dialogue on the matter.
Taku raised questions over the role of the Arunachal Christian Forum (ACF) in the ongoing debate surrounding APFRA and alleged that the organization was creating confusion among members of the Christian community regarding the issue.
Describing the 15-day ultimatum earlier served by the ACF to the state government as “technically wrong,” Taku claimed that the forum had failed to adequately examine the Act's provisions and identify the specific aspects that could adversely affect the Christian community.
“ACF has failed to properly work on the issue. It has failed to provide proper advice or point out the actual defects in APFRA, 1978, that may affect the Christian community,” he said.
The former minister further alleged that the state government had changed the chairman of the High-Powered Committee (HPC) following demands made by the ACF, replacing Indigenous Affairs Minister Mama Natung with retired Gauhati High Court judge Justice Brojendra Prasad Katakey.
Questioning the forum's stand, Taku said that while the Christian community had been demanding the repeal of APFRA, the ACF participated in discussions on the draft rules prepared by the HPC.
“When the Christian community is demanding complete repeal of APFRA, why did the ACF seek the appointment of a retired judge to head the committee drafting the rules? Why did its members attend meetings on the draft rules? What exactly does the ACF want?” he asked.