Religion and Communication: An Overview of Arunachal Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act, 1978 (APFRA) Amidst Awakening Movement

The discourse on religion has always persisted among the Tani Ethnic group of Arunachal Pradesh, however, recently it resurfaced when there was a demand for the implementation of the Arunachal Pradesh Freedom of religion Act, 1978 (APFRA). This paper traces the emergence of the Religious Movement with special reference to Donyi Poloism among the Tani Ethnic Group in Arunachal Pradesh. Home to 26 major tribes and over 100 sub-tribes, Arunachal represents one of the most ethnically diverse regions and this diversity exposes it to the influence of acculturation processes. Therefore, amid ongoing efforts to preserve indigenous cultures and assert a distinct collective identity, communities often experience a persistent sense of cultural ambiguity. The paper examines the contribution of the State Government in its attempt to introduce the population to the significance of preserving cultural and religious identity through communication strategies that involve verbal, non-verbal, visual communication etc. With reference to Arunachal Pradesh, one of the communication strategies used was a feature film called Mera Dharm, Meri Maa. This effort ultimately aided the inception of the Arunachal Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act (APFRA,1978).