Centre extends AFSPA in parts of Arunachal, Nagaland for 6 more months

Guwahati, Sept 27: Yet again the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has extended the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) in certain districts of Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland for another six months with effect from October 1.

“AFSPA has been extended for another six months in Tirap, Changlang, and Longding districts in Arunachal Pradesh as well as areas under the jurisdiction of Namsai, Mahadevpur, and Chowkham police stations in Namsai district, bordering Assam,” an MHA notification stated.

A separate notification of the MHA said that the AFSPA was extended in eight districts — Dimapur, Niuland, Chumoukedima, Mon, Kiphire, Noklak, Phek, and Peren — and 21 police station areas in five other districts of Nagaland, which has a total of 16 districts.

The AFSPA empowers the Army, para-military, and other security forces to arrest a person without a warrant, enter or search premises without a warrant, along with some other actions.

With the improvement in the security situation in the northeastern states, the Centre, in April 2022, reduced the number of disturbed areas under AFSPA in many areas of Nagaland, Assam and Manipur.

Many political parties, NGOs, and civil society organisations, including the influential North East Students’ Organisation (NESO), Eastern Nagaland People’s Organisation, the All Naga Students’ Association, and the United Naga Council in the northeastern region have been demanding complete repeal of AFSPA.

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