Chief Minister of right wing Hindu Bha-ratiya Janata Party ruling northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh had words of apprecia-tion and praise for a group of Catholic Church leaders visiting him on July 17. In his official Facebook post Chief Minister Pema Khandu said, “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, led by President Shri Taw Tebin Ji.”
“Their tireless efforts in promoting peace, education, and social welfare in our state are truly commendable,” he wrote. 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 respon-sible society.” In concluding the post the Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh state which introduced the anti-Christian legislation – Freedom of Religion Act in 1978 – did not hesitate to say, “Thank you for your selfless service and commitment to the betterment of Arunachal Pradesh.” Pema 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 domi-nant religions or suppress minority faiths