The Arunachal Pradesh Government has appointed a retired judge of the Gauhati High Court as the chairman of a high-powered committee (HPC) to examine the draft rules framed for an “anti-conversion” law introduced almost five decades ago.
Brojendra Prasad Katakey, a former judge of the high court, has replaced the State’s Home Minister Mama Natung as the head of the HPC to study the draft rules for the Arunachal Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act (APFRA), 1978.
The members of the committee include two Ministers, Kento Jini and Balo Raja, two bureaucrats, and heads of six organisations – Arunachal Christian Forum (ACF), Indigenous Faith and Cultural Society of Arunachal Pradesh (IFCSAP), Monpa Mimang Tsogpa, Tai Khamti Development Society, Arunachal Vikas Parishad, and the State unit of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad.
The Committee has been tasked with examining the draft of the Arunachal Pradesh Freedom of Religion Rules, 1978, in light of the High Court’s directives in September 2024 and constitutional provisions. It has also been entrusted with consulting the relevant departments and experts, and recommending necessary changes to ensure that the rules are consistent with the provisions of the Constitution of India and judicial directions.
