Itanagar, July, 2024: The Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh, Prema Khandu, of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), lauded a group of Catholic Church leaders who called on him on 17, July 2024.

“Blessed to receive a call-on from Bishop Benny Edathittayel of Itanagar, Bishop George Palliparambil of Miao and the members of the Arunachal Pradesh Catholic Association, lead by President Shri Taw Tebin Ji. Their tireless efforts in promoting peace, education, and social welfare in our state are truly commendable,” said the Chief Minister through his official Facebook post.

Serving a second term as Chief Minister, Khandu did not hesitate to place on record the contribution of the Church stating, “I deeply appreciate the Catholic community’s dedication to raising awareness on critical issues like corruption, drug abuse, and the money culture in elections, contributing to a more informed and responsible society.”

In concluding the post the Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh, which had introduced the Freedom of Religion Act in 1978, said, “Thank you for your selfless service and commitment to the betterment of Arunachal Pradesh.”

Prema Khandu born on August 21, 1979, is the son of former Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh late Shri Dorjee Khandu. Several states in India, including Arunachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, and Odisha, have implemented anti-conversion laws.

Anti-conversion laws are legislative measures aimed at preventing or prohibiting religious conversions. These laws can be used to discourage individuals from leaving a particular faith or to restrict religious groups from actively seeking new members from other religious backgrounds.

The specific provisions and enforcement of anti-conversion laws differ across jurisdictions, and they may involve both criminal and civil penalties.

Christian leaders content that the implementation of these laws have the potential to favour dominant religions or suppress minority faiths.

-OdishaAge