The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has further removed the the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) from the jurisdiction of three police stations in Wokha and Zunheboto districts of Nagaland, while one more police station in Arunachal Pradesh has been declared as a “disturbed area” under the Act, according to a notification.
In all, AFSPA has been extended in whole of eight districts and 21 police stations in five other districts of Nagaland for another six months, down from nine districts earlier.
The eight districts where AFSPA has been extended are Dimapur, Niuland, Chumoukedima, Mon, Kiphire, Noklak, Phek and Peren districts in Nagaland. The falling within the jurisdiction of Khuzama, Kohima North, Kohima South, Zubza and Kezocha police stations in Kohima District;Mangkolemba, Mokokchung-I, Longtho, Tuli, Longchem and Anaki ‘C’ police stations in Mokokchung District; Yanglok police station in Longleng District; Bhandari, Champang and Ralan police stations in Wokha District; and Ghatashi, Pughoboto, Satakha, Suruhuto, Zunheboto and Aghunato police stations in Zunheboto District, are declared as ‘disturbed area’ under Section 3 of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 for a period of six months with effect from April 1, “unless withdrawn earlier,” the notification said. earlier, the whole of Zunheboto district was under AFSPA, now the Act will apply only in six out of eight police stations of the district. Similarly AFSPA has removed from Sungro police station in Wokha.
On April 1, 2022,MHA had considerably reduced “disturbed areas” in the States of Assam, Manipur and Nagaland. AFSPA was applicable in whole of Nagaland since 1995.
The ministry said in another notification on Friday that Tirap, Changlang and Longding districts in Arunachal Pradesh and the areas falling within the jurisdiction of Namsai, Mahadevpur and Chowkham police stations in Namsai district of the State along the Assam border, are declared as ‘disturbed area’ under Section 3 of the AFSPA 1958 for a period of six months from April 1, “unless withdrawn earlier.” Chowkham is a new addition.
The law gives unbridled power to the armed forces and the Central Armed Police Forces deployed in “disturbed areas” to kill anyone acting in contravention of law, arrest and search any premises without a warrant and protection from prosecution and legal suits without the Central government’s sanction. Both State and Central government can issue notification regarding AFSPA.
Currently, the MHA issues periodic “disturbed area” notification to extend the AFSPA only for Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh.
The notification for Manipur and Assam is issued by the State governments. Tripura revoked the Act in 2015 and Meghalaya was under the AFSPA for 27 years, until it was revoked by the Ministry from April 1, 2018.
