The Indian government has extended the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) in nine districts of Nagaland and three districts of Arunachal Pradesh for six months.
According to a notification from the Federal Home Ministry, the districts in which the AFSPA has been extended until 30 March 2023 are:
Districts of Nagaland: Dimapur, Niuland, Chumoukedima, Mon, Kiphire, Noklak, Phek, Peren and Zunheboto.
Districts of Arunachal Pradesh: Tirap, Changlang and Longding.
Additional areas: Regions under 16 police stations in Nagaland's districts of Kohima, Mokokchung, Longleng and Wokha, and two police stations in the Namsai district of Arunachal Pradesh.
All these places have been declared “disturbed areas” under Section 3 of the AFSPA 1958.
According to the notification, the decision was taken after the law and order situation in both the states had been reviewed.
The British government passed the act in its original version during their rule to suppress the Quit India Movement in 1942. After India declared independence in 1947, the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru chose to retain the act.
AFSPA gives Army personnel in disturbed areas sweeping powers to search, arrest and open fire if they deem it necessary for “the maintenance of public order”.
Notably, nine districts and 16 police stations in four other districts of Nagaland were declared “disturbed areas” by the Federal Government for a period of six months from 1 April to 30 September 2022.
Tirap, Changland and Longding districts and areas within the jurisdiction of Namsai and Mahadevpur police stations in Namsai district of Arunachal Pradesh were declared as “disturbed areas” during the same time period.
However, in March this year the Federal government reduced the areas falling under the ambit of the AFSPA in Nagaland, Assam and Manipur.
The decision was widely welcomed by state chiefs and they described the move as a “significant development towards bringing stability, security and prosperity to the north-east region”.