Aiming To Completely Withdraw AFSPA From Assam By 2023 End: CM Himanta Sarma

In November 1990, Assam was declared as a 'disturbed area' under the AFSPA. Since then, it has been extended every six months.

Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma says his government was aiming to completely remove AFSPA from the state by 2023 end.

Source : PTI File Photo

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday said that his government was aiming to "completely" remove Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) from the state by the end of this year. In November 1990, Assam was declared as a 'disturbed area' under the AFSPA. Since then, it has been extended every six months.

In March this year, the Central government had reduced the AFSPA in three northeastern states including Nagaland, Manipur, and Assam with effect from April 1, 2023. 

The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 grants special powers to the security forces to conduct operations anywhere and to arrest anyone without any prior warrant. The law has been in force in the three states — Assam, Nagaland, and Manipur — for decades and has been opposed by civil society and rights activists claiming human rights violation by the security forces.

At present, eight districts of Assam are under the disturbed areas notification which include Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Charaideo, Sivasagar, Jorhat, Golaghat, Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao. 

In a notification in March this year, the Ministry of Home Affairs that as a result of significant improvement in the security situation, the disturbed areas under AFSPA were removed from the entire state, except nine districts and one sub-division with effect from 1 April last year which has been reduced to only eight districts this year. 

In Manipur, the disturbed area declaration under AFSPA was in operation since 2004, except the Imphal Municipality area.

However, the Central government removed the disturbed area notification from 15 police station areas of six districts from 1 April, 2022, and now the disturbed area notification under AFSPA is being withdrawn from four other police stations. 

A total of 19 police stations in seven districts of Manipur have been removed from the disturbed area notification. 

As per MHA, the disturbed areas notification was applicable in Nagaland since 1995. However, the notification was withdrawn from 15 police stations of seven districts with effect from 1 April, 2022. It was further cut from three other police stations with effect from 1 April this year. 

The disturbed area notification under AFSPA was completely withdrawn from Tripura in 2015 and Meghalaya in 2018.