AFSPA extended in parts of Assam, Manipur, Nagaland, Arunachal

The Assam Government has decided not to extend the Section 3 of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 (Act No. 28 of 1958) beyond 31st March 2025 in Dibrugarh district. In a notification today, Assam Government said that in light of the improvements of law and order situation, the “Disturbed Area” status under the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958, need not be extended in Dibrugarh district. However, the Government of Assam recommended that the “Disturbed Area” status under AFSPA be continued for an additional six months in the three districts of Tinsukia, Charaideo and Sivasagar.
Assam's Home and Political Department Secretary Debaprasad Misra in an order stated that the four districts were kept under the AFSPA since October 8 last year as "Disturbed Area" after withdrawing the act from the rest of the state. "Following the receipt of reports from various security agencies, it has been observed that the overall security situation in Assam has significantly improved, particularly over the last three and a half years, due to the sustained efforts and proactive counter-insurgency measures by the Assam Police and security forces," it added.
In light of these improvements, the Government of Assam believes that the "Disturbed Area" status under the AFSPA need not be extended in Dibrugarh district beyond March 31, 2025, the order stated. "Despite these improvements, there have been sporadic incidents of IEDs being planted by ULFA (I), the only militant group active in the state, in various districts, alongside their involvement in kidnapping for ransom to fund their activities," Misra said in the notification.
The AFSPA was first imposed in Assam in November 1990 and has been extended every six months since then after a review by the state government. The act empowers security forces to conduct operations anywhere and arrest anyone without any prior warrant. It also gives a certain level of immunity to the security forces in case of an operation going wrong. Civil society groups and rights activists have been demanding withdrawal of the "draconian law" from the entire North East claiming violation of human rights by the armed forces.

The AFSPA was on Sunday extended for six months in entire Manipur, except the jurisdictions of 13 police stations, in view of the law and order situation there. The AFSPA, under which a particular state or some areas are declared "disturbed", has also been extended to eight districts in Nagaland and 21 police station areas in five other districts of the state for six months, according to a notification issued by the Union home ministry.The law was also extended to Tirap, Changlang and Longding districts in Arunachal Pradesh and three police station areas in Namsai district in the state for six months beginning April 1 after a review of the law and order situation in these northeastern states.