The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, which grants the armed forces operating in disturbed areas sweeping powers and immunity from prosecution unless approved by the Centre, has been extended to Manipur, Assam, Nagaland, and Arunachal Pradesh.
In Assam, the AFSPA has been withdrawn from Dibrugarh, but it remains in force in the three districts of Tinsukia, Charaideo, and Sivasagar. The AFSPA has been active in Assam since 1990, when it was imposed at the peak of the ULFA movement.
The AFSPA has also been extended to eight districts in Nagaland and 21 police station areas in five other districts of the state for six months. In Manipur, it has been extended across the entire state, except for the jurisdictions of 13 police stations in the valley.
In Arunachal, the AFSPA has been extended to Tirap, Changlang, and Longding districts, as well as three police station areas in Namsai district, for six months, starting 1 April. This follows a review of the law and order situation in the northeastern states.
While state governments can recommend whether the Act should be enforced, as seen in Tripura and Meghalaya, where it was removed in 2015 and 2018, respectively, in most cases, the Act is extended for another six months every time.
The disturbed area notification has been in force in Assam since 1990, while Nagaland has been under the draconian Act since 1958.
Though the state can decide, under Section 3 of the Act, the Centre’s decision is final. The draconian Act, which grants unprecedented power to the Indian forces, has often been used to control the population with violence. The recommendations of the Second Administrative Reforms Commission, as well as the opinions of Justice Jeevan Reddy, have already suggested repealing the Act. The Act should be repealed once and for all.