‘Right Step’: Manipur, Assam, Meghalaya CMs Hail Modi, Shah for AFSPA Move

In a major outreach to the Northeast, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday announced reduction of the disturbed areas imposed under the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) in Nagaland, Assam and Manipur from April 1, after decades.

A home ministry spokesperson, however, said the decision does not imply that the AFSPA has been completely withdrawn from the three insurgency-hit states but will continue to be in force in some areas of the three states.

The decision was welcomed by chief minister of several states, including in Assam where the disturbed area notification is in force in entire state since 1990.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma welcomed the decision and conveyed his gratitude to Home Minister Amit Shah. “I wholeheartedly welcome Adarniya PM Shri @narendramodi ji’s decision to withdraw AFSPA from all areas of Assam barring 9 dists & 1 subdivn. Also convey my gratitude to HM Shri @AmitShah ji for this great move. Around 60% of State’s area will now be free from AFSPA’s purview,” he said.

“AFSPA has been in force since 1990 & this move marks the beginning of a new chapter in Assam’s future. It is a testimony to the significant improvement in law & order in the State.With peace getting primacy, North East is now on a new trajectory of growth & development,” he added.

Assam, Sarma said, will withdraw AFSPA completely from Thursday midnight, barring nine districts and one subdivision.

“Assam will withdraw AFSPA completely from midnight today, except in nine districts and one subdivision. It will be withdrawn from 60% of our territory. AFSPA will be withdrawn from complete lower, central and north Assam from midnight today,” he said.

Also READ: AFSPA: A British-era Remnant With Unbridled Powers; Here’s a Complete Low-down

Due to the significant improvement in the situation, the AFSPA is being removed with effect from April 1 completely from 23 districts and partially from one district of Assam.

The disturbed area declaration is in force in entire Manipur (except Imphal municipality area) since 2004. With Thursday’s decision, 15 police station areas of 6 districts of Manipur will be excluded from the disturbed area notification with effect from April 1.

Speaking to CNN-News18, Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh said, “I am proud of being in the BJP. This (decision) was a long due demand that has been fulfilled. I am thankful to Amit shah ji and PM Modi ji.”

In an Interview to CNN-News18 three days ago, Biren Singh had spoken about central government’s plans to get the controversial AFSPA removed from the state.

Neiphiu Rio, Chief Minister of Nagaland, said the move will help bring “stability, security & prosperity to the North East region”.

The move came three months after the central government constituted a high-level committee to examine the possibility of lifting the AFSPA in Nagaland where 14 civilians were killed by the army in December 2021 in a case of “mistaken identity”.

Meghalaya CM Conrad Sangma called the move “a right step” and thanked the prime minister and home minister for respecting the sentiment of the people of north east. “It’s is right step forward and I would like to thank Hon’ble PM and Hon’ble HM for keeping the sentiments of the people of the north east in mind and taken the right step. This is another example of the Hon’ble PM and Hon’ble HM showing their concern for the people of the north east,” he said.

Asked if the decision will help the BJP in the elections, Sangma said, “It’s not about elections but about doing the right thing …and this is the right thing to do.”

Terming it a historic decision, Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said peace has been restored in Assam, Manipur and Nagaland.

“A very big decision has been taken for the North East. The scope of AFSPA has been reduced in the three North East states of Assam, Manipur and Nagaland, this is a historic day, this decision shows that peace has been restored her,” Sonowal said.

In 2015, AFSPA was in force in 3 districts of Arunachal Pradesh, 20 km belt of Arunachal Pradesh along the Assam border and in 16 police station areas in 9 other districts of the state. This has been gradually reduced and the disturbed areas notification, is currently applicable in only 3 districts and in 2 police station areas in 1 other district of Arunachal Pradesh.

The disturbed area notification is in force in the whole of Nagaland from 1995. The central government has accepted the recommendation of a committee constituted in this context for withdrawal of AFSPA in a phased manner. The disturbed area notification is being withdrawn from 15 police stations in 7 districts in Nagaland with effect from April 1.

In a series of tweets on Thursday, Amit Shah said: “In a significant step, GoI (Government of India) under the decisive leadership of PM Shri @NarendraModi Ji has decided to reduce disturbed areas under Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in the states of Nagaland, Assam and Manipur after decades.” The home minister said the reduction in areas under AFSPA is the result of the improved security situation and fast-tracked development due to the consistent efforts and several agreements to end insurgency and bring lasting peace in Northeast by the Modi government.”

“Thanks to PM @NarendraModi Ji’s unwavering commitment, our North-Eastern region, which was neglected for decades is now witnessing a new era of peace, prosperity and unprecedented development. I congratulate the people of North East on this momentous occasion,” he said.

The AFSPA has been in force for decades in the three Northeastern states to assist the armed forces operating there to tackle insurgency.

The AFSPA empowers security forces to conduct operations and arrest anyone without any prior warrant besides giving immunity from arrest and prosecution to the security forces if they shoot someone dead. There have been protests and demands for the complete withdrawal of the law from the Northeast as well as Jammu and Kashmir for its alleged “draconian” provisions.

Manipuri activist Irom Chanu Sharmila fought against the law by remaining on hunger strike for 16 years, before ending it on August 9 in 2016. The disturbed area notification under AFSPA was completely removed from Tripura in 2015 and Meghalaya in 2018.

The killing of 14 civilians rose tension in Nagaland, where people protested for weeks for the withdrawal of the AFSPA. Before the recently concluded assembly elections, Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh had said he and the people of Manipur wanted the withdrawal of the AFSPA but security agencies have to look into the issue of the national security.

A home ministry spokesperson said in comparison to 2014, there has been a reduction of 74 per cent in militancy incidents in 2021 in the Northeast. Similarly, deaths of security personnel and civilians have also come down by 60 per cent and 84 per cent respectively during this period.

“To realise the prime minister’s vision of a peaceful and prosperous Northeast, the home minister has held a dialogue with all the states of the region on a continuous basis. As a result, most of the extremist groups have laid down their arms expressing their faith in the Constitution and the policies of the Modi government. Today all these persons have become a part of the democratic process and are participating in the peace and development of the Northeast. About 7,000 militants have surrendered in the last few years,” the spokesperson said.

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