Dehradun, July 1 -- An Arunachal Pradesh Act, passed unanimously by the legislature 48 years ago, when it was still a Union Territory, has stirred the hornet's nest. The Arunachal Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act, 1978 (Act No. 4 of 1978), one of India's earliest state-level anti-conversion laws was enacted during the tenure of the state's first Chief Minister, Prem Khandu Thungon to protect the socio-cultural fabric and indigenous practices of local tribal communities from external religious influences. However, as the rules were not been notified, it was in limbo all this while. Meanwhile, in August 2017, the current CM, Pema Khandu, approved the establishment of a new Department of Indigenous Faith & Cultural Affairs (DIFCA).
However, th...