Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Charaideo, and Sivasagar will remain classified as “disturbed areas” under AFSPA
The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) has been extended for six months in four districts of Assam due to concerns over recent disturbances in neighboring Bangladesh and their potential impact on local law and order.
The notification, issued on Tuesday, specifies that the districts of Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Charaideo, and Sivasagar will remain classified as “disturbed areas” under the AFSPA.
According to reports from various agencies received by the police headquarters, the overall security situation in Assam has improved significantly in recent years, particularly in the last three years, thanks to proactive counter-insurgency measures by security forces.
However, the Assam government highlighted that disturbances in Bangladesh could adversely affect the internal security landscape, prompting the recommendation to retain the AFSPA for an additional six months.
The AFSPA allows security forces to operate in designated areas and arrest individuals without a warrant, providing them with a degree of legal immunity in case of operational mishaps. The Central government, after reviewing the proposal from the Assam government, decided to maintain the current status quo for these districts, effective from October 1.
These four districts have been the only ones in Assam under AFSPA since October of last year, as the law has been gradually withdrawn from other areas. The Act was lifted from Jorhat, Golaghat, Karbi Anglong, and Dima Hasao last year, while other regions were removed from its purview earlier.
Originally imposed in Assam in November 1990, AFSPA has been extended every six months. However, civil society groups and human rights activists have long called for the repeal of this “draconian law,” citing human rights violations by the armed forces.
The push for repeal gained renewed urgency after the killing of 14 civilians during a flawed anti-insurgency operation in Nagaland’s Mon district on December 4, 2021.
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