Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu announced the renaming of the Department of Indigenous Affairs to include “Indigenous Faith and Culture,” a move aimed at bolstering efforts to preserve and promote the state’s indigenous heritage.

Khandu also revealed that the state government is in the process of framing rules to ensure the effective implementation of the Arunachal Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act, 1978, which seeks to protect indigenous cultures, traditions, and faiths.

In his address, the Chief Minister emphasized the importance of safeguarding indigenous philosophical traditions, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, and other faiths that originated in India. He also thanked Jual Oram, Tribal Affairs Minister, for his presence and support at the silver jubilee celebrations of the Indigenous Faith and Cultural Society of Arunachal Pradesh (IFCSAP), reinforcing the state’s commitment to its indigenous identity.