Monday Musing
[ Junroi Mamai ]
Recently on 23 May, Chief Minister of Assam Himanta Biswa Sarma had announced that his government was aiming to withdraw controversial Armed Forces (Special) Powers Act (AFSPA) completely from the state by the end of 2023.
The CM of Assam declared that AFSPA will be lifted from the entire state by November. He also stated that the state government plans to replace Central Armed Police Forces by Assam police battalions.
Last year, the union home ministry removed the Disturbed Areas notification under AFSPA from the entire state of Assam and by the 1st of April this year, the Act has been restricted to only 8 districts of Assam.
The union home ministry has however, recently decided to extend AFSPA in Arunachal for another 6 months following review of the law and order situation here.
AFSPA has been extended for another six months in the districts of Tirap, Changlang and Longding and the areas falling within the jurisdiction of Namsai, Mahadevpur and Chowkham police stations in Namsai district bordering Assam.
We know that the Act provides for special powers for the armed forces that can be imposed by the centre or the Governor of a state, on the state or parts of it, after it is declared ‘disturbed’ under Section 3. The Act gives armed forces personnel, operating in disturbed areas, sweeping powers to search, arrest and open fire if they deem it necessary for the ‘maintenance of public order.’
In Arunachal, it has been almost over a decade now that the draconian Act has been enforced in the districts of Tirap, Changlang and Longding. Within this decade numerous lives of the general public and those of the security personnel have been lost.
Since early 1990s, the people of the state have been witness to the series of violence and atrocities committed against the people of these districts and how they have been caught in the crossfire of the conflict between the security forces and the various insurgent groups. However, within the past couple of years, there has been steady improvement in the situation in these three districts owing to strong crackdown on the insurgent groups by the security forces coupled with proper assistance policy for surrendered insurgents by the government. These much-needed steps have encouraged the active cadres of insurgent groups to lay down their arms and join the mainstream society. Further, there has been significant decline in the number of insurgency related cases being reported in the police stations of the said three districts. In recent times, large scale mass surrender by cadres of various insurgent groups have taken place, significant among them, was the mass surrender of 15 active cadres of ENNG including their party president during a formal surrender programme at Itanagar in presence of Chief Minister Pema Khandu and Inspector General Assam Rifles (North) Major General Vikas Lakhera on 12 Mar, 2023. All these are indicators of an improved law and order situation. The state government should therefore also consider gradual withdrawal of the Armed Forces (Special) Powers Act from these three districts to ensure long-term peace and prosperity.
