Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday met Union Home Minister Amit Shah at the latter’s residence in New Delhi to discuss the roadmap for a complete withdrawal of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) from Assam. The Chief Minister later said that the Assam government will take further steps for a complete withdrawal of AFSPA from the state based on the suggestions of the Union Home Minister.


“I met Hon’ble Union Home Minister Amit Shahji at his residence today to discuss the roadmap for the complete withdrawal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act from Assam. The Government of Assam will take further steps based on the suggestions of Hon’ble Home Minister,” Chief Minister Sarma stated on X, formerly known as Twitter.



On March 25 this year, the Central government reduced the disturbed areas under the AFSPA in three northeastern states of Assam, Nagaland, and Manipur, with effect from April 1, 2023. Union Home Minister Shah then stated that the decision had been taken in view of the significant improvement in the security situation in the northeastern region.


The Union Home Minister also asserted that peace has significantly returned to the region after several peace accords were implemented in the northeastern states in the past four years, as a result of which, most of the extremist groups, expressing faith in the Constitution of the country and the policies of the government, have laid down their arms and joined the mainstream.


According to a statement from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), around 7,000 insurgents, belonging to various militant organisations, have laid down their arms between 2014 and March 2023.


ALSO READ | Bill For Banning Polygamy In Assam To Be Drafted In 45 Days: CM Himanta Sarma


The MHA statement informed that it has signed several historic agreements in the past four years which have resolved the decades-old problems of the region.


The MHA also stated that the disturbed areas notification was in force throughout Assam since 1990 but 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 of another district, with effect from April 1, 2022, and from April 1, 2023, it has been reduced to only nine districts of the state. 


On a previous occasion, former Assam Director General of Police (DGP) GM Srivastava, who was the Inspector General (IG), Operations of the state during the late 1980s and early 1990s, had welcomed the Centre’s decision to reduce AFSPA areas in the three northeastern states and stated that the Indian Army, currently engaged in counter-insurgency operations in the region, will be able to take on the enemies of the nation on the international borders. DGP Srivastava combated insurgency in Assam at a time when the proscribed United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) was at its peak.


The AFSPA is an act of the Indian Parliament that grants “special powers” to the armed forces in order to maintain peace in the disturbed areas of a state.


Subscribe And Follow ABP Live On Telegram: https://t.me/officialabplive