‘Arunachal Pradesh Tribal Muslim Youth Forum’, Mooted to Check The RSS Push for Making Tribals Lean Towards Hinduism, Disbanded
By Syed Ali Mujtaba,
New Age Islam
12 August
2024
Tribal Muslim Youth
Forum, said; “We Respect the People’s Sentiment and Therefore Dissolved the
Organization as Arunachalis Seem to Be Apprehensive About It
------
The “All
Arunachal Pradesh Tribal Muslim Youth Forum,” (AAPTMYF) was voluntarily
dissolved on August 8, 2024, at Itanagar the capital of Arunachal Pradesh
state.
The Tribal Muslim
Youth Forum was being mooted to check the growing RSS push for making tribals
in Arunachal Pradesh lean towards Hinduism.
Mr Giah
Limpeah Sultan, the chairman of AAPTMYF, while announcing the discontinuation
of the Tribal Muslim Youth Forum, said; “We respect the people’s sentiment and
therefore dissolved the organization as Arunachalis seem to be apprehensive
about it. But it was formed to work for the welfare of tribals who follow the
Islamic religion. People misunderstood, thinking that we would support
non-Arunachal Pradesh State Tribal Muslims and that we might support illegal
Bangladeshi Muslim immigrants, which is wrong.”
Sultan
said; “People should understand that we live in a democratic country. I have
the right to follow whatever religion I like. My grandfather and my father were
Donyi Polo priests. During my early days, I even attended church. But I found
peace in Islam and therefore converted to it. But I am first a Nyishi and a
tribal. I will never work against the indigenous tribal people,” he added.
Sultan
said, he took the Islamic religion in 2012 and is living as an Islam till
today. He alleged that “certain sections of people have spread hatred against
the followers of Islam in Arunachal. “By embracing Islam, we did not commit any
crime. I have the freedom to choose the religion of my choice.”
He urged
the people to stop making threatening calls to the executive members and added
that “religion is a personal choice and no one has the right to question those
who choose Islam as their religion.
The “All
Arunachal Pradesh Tribal Muslim Youth Forum,” (AAPTMYF) was conceived due to
RSS incursions to make Arunachal tribals lean towards Hinduism, says Taba Ajum
of the Arunachal Times.
‘This forum came in reaction to the decision
of the Arunachal Pradesh government to create the Department of Indigenous
Faith and Cultural Affairs (DIFCA) that has footprints of RSS in marking,’ he
adds.
“The RSS
for years has been trying to develop a connection between Hinduism and
indigenous faith. The RSS has been playing the scene role of propagating
indigenous faith and has often alleged Christian missionaries of converting
tribals. It considers Arunachal as a crucial state to make inroads into tribal
society in the entire North Eastern region of India,” the journalist concluded.
Arunachal
Pradesh is a protected state under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, of
1873. Muslims in Arunachal Pradesh make up 27.05 Thousand (1.95 percent) of the
state's total 13.84 Lakhs population. Christian Population is 4.19 Lakhs (30.26
percent). The Hindu population is 29.04% of the total population.
-----
Syed Ali Mujtaba is a journalist based in Chennai.