An apex Christian organisation in Arunachal Pradesh has stepped up the demand for allotment of land for a church in Tawang but a forum of indigenous faiths said the issue was being created unnecessarily over an illegally occupied plot.
The Indigenous Faith & Cultural Society of Arunachal Pradesh (IFCSAP) also reminded the Pema Khandu government of pending applications for land to set up places of worship for the indigenous faiths across the State.
Many tribes and sub-tribes follow indigenous faiths. The more organised faiths are Donyi-Polo and Rangfrah.
“If the State government is keen on issuing land allotment to any religious group, it should also redress all the pending allotment for indigenous prayer centres in the State without any further delay,” the IFCSAP said in a statement on November 2.
Alleged illegal occupation
The organisation said the land demanded by the Tawang Christian Revival Church belongs to the government and had been occupied illegally for church construction. The local authorities had been sending notices to the church body to stop construction work and arrested the pastor on October 6.
The IFCSAP slammed the Arunachal Christian Forum (ACF) for raking up an “avoidable” issue and questioned the need for constructing another church on government land when three other churches have been allowed in Tawang.
But the ACF said Christians in the State would continue to demand and demonstrate until the government allotted the land for the church on the land the believers have been staying for two decades.
“The application for land allotment has been pending for two years. The minister and officials concerned had assured that the issue would be resolved,” ACF president Toko Teki said, adding that the Christians have a constitutional right to establish a church.
The IFCSAP, meanwhile, demanded immediate implementation of the Arunachal Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act, 1978, in letter and spirit to safeguard the culture, customs, ancestral faith and belief system of Indigenous people of the State.
The Act is seen by the adherents of mainstream religions as an anti-conversion tool.
