Govt removes AFSPA from parts of Nagaland, Assam and Manipur

He said the move 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 Government.

According to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), AFSPA is being removed from 15 police station areas in seven districts of Nagaland; 15 police station areas in six districts of Manipur; and 23 districts entirely and one district partially in Assam.

The decision comes in the backdrop of vociferous demands for AFSPA to be lifted after six civilians were gunned down in Nagaland’s Mon district last December in a botched operation by security personnel. Seven more civilians and a security personnel died in the retaliatory violence that followed, prompting the Nagaland Assembly to pass a resolution for the repeal of AFSPA.

However, Mon district remains a “disturbed area since this is a border district, and has a strong presence of NSCN-K (YA),” said sources in the Nagaland government.

The notification of “disturbed areas” under AFSPA has been in force in Assam since 1990, in Nagaland since 1995, and in Manipur, except the Imphal Municipality area, since 2004. Starting 2015, the Government removed AFSPA entirely from Tripura and Meghalaya, and partially from Arunachal Pradesh, which currently has three districts and two police station areas in a fourth district under the Act.
On Thursday, Shah said the Northeast, “which was neglected for decades, is now witnessing a new era of peace, prosperity and unprecedented development”.

In Assam, AFSPA will remain in the districts of Karbi Anglong, West Karbi Anglong, Dima Hasao, Dibrugarh, Tinsukia, Charaideo, Sivasagar, Golaghat, Jorhat and the Lakhipur subdivision of Cachar.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said 31,724.94 sq km of the 78,438 sq km geographical area of the state is under the “Disturbed Area” status. He said the Act will remain in force across the Upper Assam and hill districts.

“In Upper Assam, ULFA-I is still active and we have also noticed the movement of other militant groups in that area. In the hill districts of Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao, we have signed a peace treaty with Karbi groups, but our dialogue with the Dimasa militant organisation (Dimasa National Liberation Army) is in an advanced stage. The moment we sign a peace treaty with DNLA, we will be able to withdraw AFSPA from the hill districts,” he said.

Sarma said that in Cachar district’s Lakhipur, apart from a Hmar militant group, a number of other insurgent outfits were active.

In Nagaland, the Centre accepted the recommendation of a high-level committee formed in the aftermath of the Mon killings and decided to withdraw AFSPA in a phased manner from April 1. The withdrawal covers an area of 4,138 sq km, which is about 25 per cent of the total area of the state. The districts of Shamator, Tseminyu and Tuensang are fully exempted whereas Kohima, Mokokchung, Wokha and Longleng are partially exempted from AFSPA.

In Manipur, the disturbed area status has been partially removed from 15 police stations in the districts of Jiribam, Thoubal, Bishnupur, Kakching, Imphal East and Imphal West, all in the Imphal Valley. The Act remains in force in the hills districts.

“We will continue to exert pressure on the Centre to completely remove the Disturbed Areas tag,” said Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh who described the Centre’s move as an “initial step”.

Biren said the state would also honour Irom Sharmila for her struggle against AFSPA. The face of Manipur’s protest against the Act, Sharmila — known as the Iron Lady of Manipur — undertook a 16-year-long hunger strike to demand its repeal.

Shah has been holding regular talks with Northeastern states in a bid to resolve boundary disputes and bring insurgent groups to the mainstream.

“As a result, most of the extremist groups have laid down their arms expressing their faith in the Constitution of India and policies of the Modi government. Today, all these persons have become a part of the democratic process and are participating in the development of the Northeast. About 7,000 militants have surrendered in the last few years,” the MHA said.

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

Sources in the Ministry said AFSPA is imposed or removed in a state fully or partially by the Central Government after “due consultation” with state governments, armed forces and the central agencies. The Act is imposed for six months at one stretch, following which a decision on extension is reviewed under the supervision of the Home Secretary “after taking the opinion” of states, forces and agencies.

According to the MHA, the Centre has signed several agreements to end insurgencies and bring “lasting peace” to the Northeastern states over the past three years. These include the Bodo Accord (2020) and Karbi-Anglong Agreement (2021) in Assam; the NLFT (SD) Agreement (2019) to bring militants into the mainstream in Tripura; the Bru-Reang refugee agreement (2020) for resettlement in Tripura.

On Tuesday, the chief ministers of Assam and Meghalaya signed an agreement in the presence of Shah to resolve six out of 12 areas of dispute along their border, resulting in about 70 per cent of the border between the two states becoming dispute-free.

The first major move at the Central level on AFSPA was taken in 2004, when the Jeevan Reddy Committee set up by the then UPA government had recommended its repeal. Following this, a Cabinet sub-committee was formed to examine the matter. However, the NDA government rejected the Reddy Committee’s recommendations and dissolved the Cabinet sub-committee.

(With Jimmy Leivon in Imphal)