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Afspa renewed in Nagaland: Govt

By, New Delhi, Kohima
Dec 31, 2021 04:50 AM IST

The decision came days after the Centre set up a panel to explore the possible removal of the controversial law that gives security forces sweeping powers and immunity in disturbed areas.

New Delhi/Kohima: The Centre on Thursday extended the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) for another six months in Nagaland, a routine move that sparked criticism in the northeastern state still mourning the killing of 14 civilians in a botched army operation.

The move sparked criticism in the northeastern state still mourning the killing of 14 civilians in a botched army operation (PTI file)
The move sparked criticism in the northeastern state still mourning the killing of 14 civilians in a botched army operation (PTI file)

The decision came days after the Centre set up a panel to explore the possible removal of the controversial law that gives security forces sweeping powers and immunity in disturbed areas. This came after the state assembly passed a resolution against AFSPA amid mounting outrage among the state’s population over the special law.

A senior officer who didn’t want to be named said renewing such notifications on their expiry was a routine practice depending on the ground situation.

“Any decision on removal of AFSPA from Nagaland will only be taken only after the report of high-level committee led by Vivek Joshi (the registrar general and census commissioner of India) submits its report,” the officer added. The panel is expected to submit its report in 45 days.

“The central government is of the opinion that the area comprising the whole of the state of Nagaland is in such a disturbed and dangerous condition that the use of armed forces in aid of the civil power is necessary,” said the Union home ministry in a gazette notification.

“Now, therefore, in exercise of the powers conferred by Section 3 of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 (No.28 of 1958) the central government hereby declares that whole of the state of Nagaland to be ‘disturbed area’ for a period of six months with effect from December 30, 2021, for the purpose of the said Act,” the notification added.

The latest demands for the law’s removal began after an elite military commando unit shot dead six coal miners returning home in Mon district on December 4, believing they were targeting insurgents. Another eight people were killed by troops when they were confronted by a furious crowd in two separate incidents, with a soldier also being killed and army vehicles set ablaze.

Tension continues to run high in the northeastern state where AFSPA was first clamped in 1958 at the height of the Naga insurgency that demanded a separate homeland. That demand has since been pared down by rebels, who are also in peace talks with the government, though a final agreement is yet to be reached. The law has been periodically extended since.

The controversial act gives sweeping powers to the armed forces to conduct operations and arrest anyone without any prior warrant. It also gives immunity to the forces if they shoot someone dead. It is in force in Nagaland, Manipur, Assam, parts of Arunachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir for decades.

Days after the killings, Nagaland chief minister Neiphiu Rio demanded that the law be withdrawn amid widespread protests across the state. On December 20, the state assembly passed a resolution asking for roll-back of the law. And on December 26, the Centre formed a five-member committee headed by registrar general and census commissioner Vivek Joshi to look into the possible repeal of AFSPA from Nagaland.

Political parties in Nagaland condemned the Centre’s move.

“This extension is a manifestation of the utter disregard the central government has for the voices of small states, particularly in North-East India,” the Naga People’s Front (NPF) said.

Calls made to leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is also a part of the opposition-less government in Nagaland, went unanswered.

The Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party also criticised the decision. “The NDPP has always opposed the extension of the disturbed area tag and the AFSPA and our objection is more so today,” NDPP spokesperson Merentoshi R Jamir told HT.

The Naga Students Federation (NSF) said the extension was “another attempt to rub in more salt to the already hurtful wounds”.

The influential Naga Mothers’ Association (NMA) -- a civil society organisation that has led the protests against AFSPA for decades – said it was a very insensitive move at a critical period.

“The extension of DAA (Disturbed Area Act) and the AFSPA, despite the Naga people’s protest against this draconian law and the resolution of the state assembly, has revealed that the central government is not interested in bringing peace to our land. We are still in mourning for the loss of our sons and brothers and this is a continuation of disrespect for our people and that Naga lives don’t matter,” Naga Mothers Association adviser Dr. Rosemary Dzuvichu said.

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