All-India Catholic Union Urges PM Modi to Halt Revival of Arunachal Religion Act

New Delhi, October 6, 2025: The All-India Catholic Union (AICU) has submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, strongly objecting to the revival of the Arunachal Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act, 1978 (APFRA). Calling the move “a threat to the constitutional right to freedom of religion and personal liberty,” the Union urged the government to “immediately repeal the Act in the interest of peace, harmony, and religious coexistence.”

The AICU, which described itself as “the oldest lay organisation in India” and a defender of the nation’s pluralistic spirit, stated that the proposed revival of APFRA would “vitiate the erstwhile peaceful social harmony in a state known for peace and prosperity.” The memorandum emphasised that since its inception in 1909, the Union has “spoken up umpteen times against all forms of injustice to people irrespective of their communities or religious affiliations.”

Quoting directly from the memorandum, the Union said, “Under Article 25 of the Indian Constitution, every person has the right to freely profess, practise, and propagate religion of their choice. This Act, however, aims to restrict this constitutional safeguard through vague and sweeping definitions of ‘forced conversion’.” It further warned that empowering the state machinery to monitor conversions “infringes upon liberty and privacy” and effectively nullifies the fundamental right to freedom under Article 21.

The AICU also pointed out that Article 14 guarantees equality before the law, yet Section 5(1) of the APFRA “encourages targeting of religious minorities on the pretext of anti-conversion.” The memorandum noted that “the law is silent on attempts to reconvert by powerful religious and political groups in the name of Ghar Wapasi,” thereby creating a discriminatory imbalance.

Citing the 2018 Shafin Jahan vs. Asokan K.M. judgment, the Union recalled that the Supreme Court had reaffirmed that “an adult’s right to choose their religion is an absolute individual right.” It added, “In this Act, there is a clear attempt to deprive individuals from choosing a religion of their choice, which is egregiously incompatible with the spirit of the Indian Constitution.”

The memorandum described Arunachal Pradesh as a “model of peace and coexistence,” highlighting that despite its diversity, the state “has never been known for ethnic violence.” It cautioned that reviving the Act would “curtail this freedom and destroy the spirit of the Constitution.” The AICU stressed that the state’s stability, inclusivity, and governance had contributed to its “impressive literacy rate of 82.92% and GDP growth of 14.56%,” and warned that divisive legislation “would only discourage investors, civil society, and international development agencies.”

Responding to arguments that the Act protects tribal customs, the Union said such traditions “are best safeguarded through affirmative policies, tribal empowerment, and sustainable development plans, not coercive laws that would create mistrust among citizens.”

The AICU further reminded the Prime Minister that “successive governments of Arunachal Pradesh under different Chief Ministers recognised the negative implications of this Act and therefore refrained from implementing it during the last 48 years.” The Union concluded by appealing to the Prime Minister to “demonstrate courage to discourage sectarian politics” and to direct the state government “not to revive the Arunachal Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act, 1978, in the interest of peace, harmony, and religious coexistence.”

By Catholic Connect Reporter