Itanagar, Mar 6: The Arunachal Indigenous Tribes' Forum (AITF) has expressed concern over the recent developments following the Gauhati High Court’s verdict directing the state government to frame rules under Section 8 of the Arunachal Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act, 1978, within six months.
In a statement, AITF, an umbrella body of all apex community-based organizations of indigenous tribes in the state, said protests by various organizations, including a hunger strike and dharna by the Arunachal Christian Forum (ACF) and rallies by the Indigenous Faith and Cultural Society of Arunachal Pradesh (IFCSAP), pose a threat to peace and stability in the state. The forum also warned that such unrest could hamper developmental activities.
AITF urged political parties, the public, ACF, and IFCSAP to refrain from issuing provocative statements on social media, print, and electronic media that could escalate tensions.
It appealed to all stakeholders to cooperate with the government in the rule-framing process by providing inputs through appropriate discussions.
The forum also requested the Arunachal Pradesh government to circulate the draft rules for public feedback to ensure a participatory approach.
Additionally, AITF has announced plans to form a consultative committee to study the draft rules prepared by the state government.
“The committee will seek inputs from community-based organizations and deliberate on the matter through the Joint Consultative Forum (JCF) for wider consultation,” the forum’s general secretary Tapi Tai said in a statement.
