NEW DELHI, March 25 (PTI): Union home minister Amit Shah on Saturday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government has once again decided to decrease the jurisdiction of “disturbed areas” declared under the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 (AFSPA) in Nagaland, Assam and Manipur.
In a series of tweets, Shah said this decision has been taken on account of significant improvement in the security situation in the northeastern region.
“A historic day for the Northeast! PM @narendramodi led GoI has once again decided to decrease the disturbed areas in Nagaland, Assam and Manipur under the AFSPA. This decision has been taken on account of significant improvement in the security situation in North-East India,” he said.
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Shah said for the first time in India’s history, Modi prioritised security, peace and development in the northeast and as a result of it, the region is now rapidly heading on the path of peace and development.
He expressed gratitude to the Prime Minister for bringing positive change in the lives of the people of the northeast and connecting the region with the “hearts of the rest of India”.
“Congratulations to our sisters and brothers of the Northeast on this momentous occasion,” Shah said.
The AFSPA gives armed forces personnel, operating in disturbed areas, sweeping powers to search, arrest, and to open fire if they deem it necessary for “the maintenance of public order”.
An area or district is notified as a disturbed area under the AFSPA to facilitate the operations of the armed forces.
In Assam, the disturbed area notification has been in force since 1990.
Officials said as a result of the remarkable improvement in the security situation during the Modi government’s rule, the disturbed area tag, imposed under the AFSPA, was removed from the entire state of Assam, except nine districts and one sub-division of one district from April 1, 2022.
Now, it has been limited to only eight districts in Assam.
In Manipur, except the Imphal municipality area, the entire state was declared a “disturbed area” in 2004 and it has been in force since then.
On April 1, 2022, 15 police station areas of six districts were freed from the ambit of the AFSPA.
Now, with the removal of the AFSPA from areas falling under four other police station areas with effect from April 1, 2023, the disturbed area tag was removed from a total of 19 police station areas in seven districts of the state, the officials said.
The AFSPA has been in force in Nagaland since 1995. It was removed from 15 police station areas of seven districts from April 1, 2022.
Following a recommendation of a government-appointed committee, the AFSPA was removed from three other police station areas with effect from April 1, 2023, the officials said.
With this, the disturbed area tag has been removed from a total of 18 police station areas in eight districts of Nagaland.
Himanta hails move
GUWAHATI, March 25 (PTI): Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for further reducing areas under AFSPA, 1958, in Assam, Manipur and Nagaland.
The continuous prioritisation of historical legacy issues of the Ashta-Lakshmi (eight north eastern) states by the Prime Minister over the last nine years is now yielding rich dividends, Sarma said.
He also expressed gratitude to Union home minister Amit Shah for giving his “undivided attention to the grand aim of achieving a secure and prosperous North East”. Shah on Saturday announced that as a result of significant improvement in the security situation the draconian act will be in force in eight districts of Assam instead of nine from April 1, 2023.
Sarma said the North East is witnessing a Golden Era.
“As the on ground security situation improves due to a host of pro people policies- I express my profound gratitude to Adarniya PM @narendramodi ji for further reducing the disturbed areas in Assam, Manipur and Nagaland,” he said.
“This second reduction, in less than a year is reflective that the governance model led by Hon PM @Narendramodi ji, rests on the twin pillars of decisiveness and responsiveness,” Sarma tweeted.
Thanking Shah, Sarma said “In his steadfastness he has enthused decision making with a solution centric approach.”
“A vibrant economy, sound security policy and deepened societal harmony has resulted in two back to back mandates from the people of our region,” he posted on the micro blogging site.
Above all, the Prime Minister has “truly won the hearts of our people and diminished both the physical and mental distance which had once existed between the North East and the rest of Bharat”, he said.
“We once again express our most sincere thanks for this historic decision,” Sarma added.
In Manipur, the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act has been withdrawn from four more police stations on the same date, which meant 19 police stations in seven districts of the state have been removed from the disturbed area notification so far, officials there said.
The Act was in force in the entire state, except for Imphal Municipality area, since 2004. But from April last year it was withdrawn from 15 police station areas of six districts.
In Nagaland, the Disturbed Areas Notification was applicable in the entire state since 1995. On April 1, 2022, it was withdrawn from 15 police stations of seven districts. It will be further withdrawn from three other police stations of another district with effect from April 1, 2023.
Civil society groups and rights activists have been demanding the withdrawal of the alleged ‘draconian’ law from areas in NE states where it was imposed.
