UNC calls for immediate withdrawal of AFSPA in ‘Naga homeland’

SENAPATI, Oct 1: The United Naga Council (UNC) has demanded the immediate withdrawal of the
Armed Forces Special Powers Act, 1958 (AFSPA) from the “Naga homeland” to restore confidence and
goodwill in the Indo-Naga peace process.
In a statement, the UNC expressed its concerns over the extension of AFSPA to the entire state of
Manipur, except for 19 police stations in the Imphal valley, for a period of six months starting from
October 1, 2023. The UNC described this extension as arbitrary, biased, and discriminatory.
The UNC questioned the exemption of areas under 19 police stations in the Imphal valley, which have
experienced violence and lawlessness since May 3, 2023, while peaceful Naga areas in the state are
subjected to the AFSPA. They noted that this routine extension of the “draconian law” in Naga areas,
despite the prevailing peace and normalcy since the Indo-Naga Ceasefire in 1997 and the Framework
Agreement between the Government of India and the NSCN (I-M) in 2015, reflects a lack of sincerity
from both the Indian and Manipuri governments regarding the Indo-Naga peace process.
The UNC strongly opposed the continued imposition of AFSPA in Naga areas and called on the
Government of India to withdraw it immediately, believing that its presence hinders the peace process
and tarnishes India’s democratic credentials on the global stage. (NNN)