Going against the stand of Manipur government, a key Kuki-Zo civil society group has urged the Centre to extend the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) to all 13 remaining police stations in Manipur’s valley districts.

The tribal body, the Committee on Tribal Unity (COTU), has urged the withdrawal of AFSPA from the hill districts, including Leimakhong, citing sufficient military presence to maintain peace.

The statement comes in response to a recent notification issued by the Home Ministry on November 14, designating six police stations in Greater Imphal as “disturbed areas” under AFSPA, effective October 1, 2024.

The tribal body also criticised the government’s lack of “sincerity and genuineness” in addressing the ongoing crisis in the state.

It alleged that Imphal’s unrest was fueled by armed militants who allegedly forced valley representatives to swear allegiance to their demands at Kangla Fort earlier this year, undermining both state and central security forces.

The looting of state armories in Imphal, resulting in widespread public possession of illegal firearms was also highlighted.

It underlined that resolving the security crisis requires a balanced approach, ensuring that the disturbed area tag applies comprehensively in valley regions while respecting the relative stability of hill districts.

“This selective implementation of AFSPA reflects a lack of commitment to restoring normalcy and addressing root causes,” it said.

Earlier today, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, said sources, reviewed the security situation in Manipur and directed top officials to take all possible steps to ensure peace in the northeastern state.

The move came as the situation in Manipur, which has been reeling from ethnic strife since May last year, continued to be volatile following protests and violence after the recovery of bodies of women and children.

Manipur has seen a fresh wave of protests after six people went missing from a camp for displaced persons in Jiribam on Monday. The six bodies were recovered from a river in Manipur over two days.

On Saturday, irate mobs set ablaze the residences of three more BJP legislators, one of whom is a senior minister, and a Congress MLA in various districts of Imphal Valley even as security forces foiled an attempt to storm the ancestral residence of Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh, officials said.

Imphal/New Delhi:

The Centre has reimposed a law to protect security forces in hostile areas in several new locations in ethnic violence-hit Manipur. The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act has been reimposed in six police station areas including Jiribam, where 10 suspected Kuki militants were shot dead in an encounter with the security forces on Monday, and from where three women and three children of the Meitei community were kidnapped by suspected insurgents.

The AFSPA gives sweeping powers to the military to operate freely anywhere that has been declared a “disturbed area”; no military personnel in an area where AFSPA is in force can be prosecuted without the Centre’s permission.

The AFSPA reimposition will allow the security forces to freely engage armed groups that have not signed any ceasefire deal with the government.

Before this, 19 police station areas in Manipur were not under AFSPA coverage as they were considered peaceful. The recent escalation in violence, however, has brought the controversial law back to at least six police station areas.

The six new areas where the security forces can operate under the immunity provided by AFSPA are Sekmai and Lamsang in Imphal West district, Lamlai in Imphal East district, Jiribam in Jiribam district, Leimakhong in Kangpokpi, and Moirang in Bishnupur.

AFSPA was withdrawn from the 19 police station areas in the valley region after seeing normalcy. The Meitei-Kuki ethnic violence that broke out in May 2023, however, led to many young people taking up arms. Meitei insurgent groups that had been active only in Myanmar after being pushed out of India have allegedly returned to the valley in large numbers.

The Kuki-Zo tribes also have nearly 24 insurgent groups that have signed a ceasefire with the Centre and the state government, called the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement. The agreement says the insurgents are to stay in designated camps and their weapons kept in locked storage, to be monitored regularly.

However, the Kuki-Zo insurgent groups, too, have been accused of training young people and supplying weapons to fight Meitei groups, especially the armed group Arambai Tenggol.

AFPSA has been in force in all the hill areas of Manipur.

Both Meitei and Kuki armed groups that sprang up after May 2023 call themselves “village defence volunteers”.

The SoO agreement lapsed in February and it has not been extended yet. The fate of the agreement is not publicly known. The Kuki tribes have been demanding the reimposition of AFSPA in the valley areas, citing a large number of Meitei armed groups operating under the name of “village defence volunteers”.

The only time any authority in Manipur admitted to the involvement of insurgent groups of both the Meitei community and the Kuki tribes was on September 9, after five bodies were found following a fierce gunfight.

Three of the bodies were confirmed as Kuki insurgents from Churachandpur district; the fourth was identified as a Kuki volunteer from Jiribam; the fifth was identified as a member of the Meitei insurgent group United National Liberation Front (Pambei), or UNLF(P), the police had said in a statement.

The three Kuki insurgents were members of the Kuki Liberation Army (KLA), a signatory of the SoO agreement. The UNLF(P), too, had signed a ceasefire deal with the Centre and the state government. The UNLF is the oldest Meitei insurgent group, which later broke up into two factions; the Pambei faction signed a tripartite peace agreement with the Centre and the state government in November 2023.

There are many villages of the Kuki tribes in the hills surrounding the Meitei-dominated valley. The clashes between the Meitei community and the nearly two dozen tribes known as Kukis – a term given by the British in colonial times – who are dominant in some hill areas of Manipur, has killed over 220 people and internally displaced nearly 50,000.

The general category Meiteis want to be included under the Scheduled Tribes category, while the Kukis who share ethnic ties with people in neighbouring Myanmar’s Chin State and Mizoram want a separate administration carved out of Manipur, citing discrimination and unequal share of resources and power with the Meiteis.

Guwahati:

The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act or AFSPA was extended in four districts of Assam for six months in view of the “recent disturbances” in Bangladesh and its potentially inimical effect on the internal law and order situation, according to a notification issued on Tuesday.

The districts of Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Charaideo and Sivasagar will remain “disturbed area” under the AFSPA, it said.

Reports from various agencies obtained through the police headquarters have indicated that “due to sustained efforts and proactive counter-insurgency measures of the security forces, the overall scenario in the state of Assam has significantly improved during the last few years and particularly during last three years”, the notification said.

“However, due to the recent disturbances in the neighbouring country Bangladesh and its potentially inimical effect on internal law and order situation, the Government of Assam recommends that the Armed Forces (Special Power) Act, 1958 may be retained for another 6 (six) months,” it added.

Under the AFSPA, an area is declared “disturbed” for the convenience of security forces.

The proposal was submitted to the Ministry of Home Affairs, which after due consideration decided to maintain the “status quo” regarding disturbed areas in the state for a further period of six months from October 1, the notification said.

The four districts have been the only areas under AFSPA in the state since October last year, with the law being gradually withdrawn from other parts.

It was withdrawn from Jorhat, Golaghat, Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao last year, while other areas were taken out of its purview earlier.

The AFSPA was first imposed in Assam in November 1990 and has been extended every six months since then.

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 the withdrawal of the “draconian law” from the entire Northeast, claiming a violation of human rights by the armed forces.

The cry to repeal the Act gained renewed momentum following the death of 14 civilians in firing by security forces in a botched anti-insurgency operation and retaliatory violence in the Mon district of Nagaland on December 4, 2021. 

New Delhi:

The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, under which an area is declared as “disturbed” for the convenience of security forces, has been extended in eight districts in Nagaland, three districts in Arunachal Pradesh and some other areas for six more months after a review of the law and order situation in the two northeastern states.

An area or district is notified as a disturbed area under the AFSPA to facilitate the operations of the armed forces.

The AFSPA gives armed forces operating in disturbed areas sweeping powers to search, arrest and to open fire if they deem it necessary for the “maintenance of public order”.

In a notification, the Union Home Ministry said the central government in exercise of the powers conferred by Section 3 of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 (28 of 1958) had declared eight districts, and 21 police stations in five other districts of Nagaland as ‘disturbed area’ for a period of six months with effect from April 1, 2024.

The home ministry said a further review of the law and order situation in Nagaland has been undertaken.

The districts and police stations areas have been declared as ‘disturbed area’ again under Section 3 of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 for a period of six months with effect from October 1, 2024, unless withdrawn earlier, the notification issued on Wednesday night said.

The districts in Nagaland where the AFSPA was reimposed are Dimapur, Niuland, Chumoukedima, Mon, Kiphire, Noklak, Phek and Peren.

The areas in Nagaland 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 are also declared ‘disturbed’.

In addition, Bhandari, Champang and Ralan police stations in Wokha District; and Ghatashi, Pughoboto, Satakha, Suruhuto, Zunheboto and Aghunato police stations in Zunheboto District of Nagaland are also declared ‘disturbed’ under the AFSPA.

In a separate notification, the home ministry said under the AFSPA, the central government had declared 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 Arunachal Pradesh, bordering Assam as ‘disturbed area’ with effect from April 1, 2024.

A further review of the law and order situation in Arunachal Pradesh has been undertaken, it said.

“Now, therefore, 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 Arunachal Pradesh, bordering the state of Assam, 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 October 1, 2024 unless withdrawn earlier,” the notification said.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah had earlier said the AFSPA has been removed in 70 per cent areas in the northeastern states even though it is in force in Jammu and Kashmir.

Mr Shah had also said that the central government would consider revoking AFSPA in Jammu and Kashmir.

There have been demands from various organisations and individuals in Jammu and Kashmir and northeastern states to revoke the AFSPA. 

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

The Assam government has extended the “Disturbed Area” status of four districts for six months under the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA), 1958. 

The four districts – Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Charaideo, and Sivasagar – have been identified as areas that require special attention due to continuous presence of militant organizations. 

The Assam Police submitted a proposal to the Home Ministry seeking extension of the “Disturbed Area” status in the four districts. According to the Assam Police, the overall law and order situation of the state has improved. However, one militant group remains active in these districts. 

After due consideration, the home ministry approved the extension of AFSPA in the four districts, starting from April 1.

New Delhi:

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said the central government will consider revoking the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act in Jammu and Kashmir.

In an interview with the JK Media Group, Mr Shah also said the government has plans to pull back troops in the Union Territory (UT) and leave law and order to the Jammu and Kashmir Police alone.

“We have plans to pull back troops and leave law and order to the Jammu and Kashmir Police alone. Earlier, the Jammu and Kashmir police was not trusted but today they are leading the operations,” he said.

On the controversial AFSPA, the home minister said, “We will also think of revoking AFSPA.”

The AFSPA gives the armed forces personnel, operating in the 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 disturbed under the AFSPA to facilitate the operations of the armed forces.

Mr Shah had earlier said the AFSPA has been removed in 70 per cent areas in the northeastern states even though it is in force in J-K.

There have been demands from various organisations and individuals in J-K and the northeastern states to revoke the AFSPA.

Mr Shah said the assembly elections will be held in J-K before September.

“Enshrining democracy in Jammu and Kashmir is Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s promise and it will be fulfilled. However, this democracy will not be confined to three families alone and will be a people’s democracy,” he said.

The Supreme Court had directed to conduct the assembly polls in the UT before September.

On the issues that have emerged around the reservation of SCs, STs and OBCs, Mr Shah said for the first time, the OBCs of J-K have been given reservation by the Modi government and women have been given one-third reservation.

“OBC reservations have been made in the panchayat and the urban local bodies. We have made space for the SCs and the STs. Without reducing the share of the Gujjar and Bakarwals, the Pahadis have been given 10 per cent reservation. And special provisions have been made to accommodate the displaced people from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir,” he said.

The Centre is determined to ensure that these benefits percolate to the grassroots level, he said.

Mr Shah claimed that National Conference (NC) leader Farooq Abdullah and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti tried their best to create acrimony on these reservations but the people have understood their intentions now.

He asked why the NC did not give reservation to these people in the last over 75 years.

The home minister claimed Abdullah had left for England when terrorism was at its peak. Both Abdullah and Mehbooba have no right to speak about on the issue, he added.

“The number of fake encounters that took place during their time has never been matched by any other regime,” he said.

Mr Shah said in the last five years, not a single fake encounter has taken place. Rather the FIRs have been lodged against the people involved in fake encounters, he added.

“We will have a dialogue with the youths of Kashmir and not with the organisations that have roots in Pakistan. They are responsible for the deaths of 40,000 youths,” he said.

He said the Modi government has banned 12 organisations for their involvement in terror activities, designated 36 individuals as terrorists, registered more than 22 cases to stop terror finance and seized properties worth Rs 150 crore.

As many as 90 properties were also attached and 134 bank accounts have been frozen, he said.

“We have enshrined peace, and peace cannot be bought. Whoever wants to have a dialogue has to do so within the ambit of the Constitution,” he said.

Mr Shah said the Hurriyat Conference has no place in the process of dialogue. He also made it clear that the BJP and the entire Parliament believe that the POK is an integral part of India.

“The Muslim brothers are also Indians and the Hindu brothers living in POK are also Indians and the land which has been illegally occupied by Pakistan also belongs to India. It is the goal of every Indian, every Kashmiri to get it back,” he said.

The home minister said in 2010, there were 2564 incidents of stone-pelting which now is zero.

From 2004 to 2014, there were 7217 terror incidents. That has reduced to 2227 from 2014 to 2023, and this is almost a 70 per cent reduction, he said.

Mr Shah said the total number of deaths from 2004 to 2014 was 2829 and it has come down to 915 during 2014-23, which is a 68 per cent decrease.

The deaths of civilians was 1770 and has decreased to 341, which is an 81 per cent drop. The deaths of security forces decreased from 1060 to 574, which is a 46 per cent decrease, he said.

The senior BJP leader said without the support of the people, such a comprehensive change can never take place.

“The people who talk about Islam should know that 85 per cent of the deceased were our Muslim brothers and sisters,” he said.

Mr Shah also asked the youths of J-K to stay away from the conspiracies of Pakistan.

“Today Pakistan is shrouded by the scourge of hunger and poverty and even people there see Kashmir as heaven. I want to tell everyone that if anyone can save Kashmir, he is Prime Minister Modi,” he said.

The home minister said the Modi government is boosting the morale of the security forces by giving jobs to the family members of the martyrs.

“Today, not a single martyr’s family is left without a job,” he said. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Women take part in a candlelight vigil against the “killing” of two missing students by unknown miscreants and demand peace in Manipur, Imphal. File
| Photo Credit: PTI

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