Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced that his government was aiming to withdraw the controversial Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, (AFSPA) completely from the north-eastern state by November this year.
AFSPA gives the Army sweeping powers in disturbed areas to search, arrest and to open fire if they deem it necessary, without a magistrate’s permission, for “the maintenance of public order”. The controversial act has been lifted from most Assam districts except eight districts and one sub-division.
Speaking at the Commandants Conference at the Lachit Barphukan Police Academy in Dergaon, held on Monday, Sarma also said that the BJP government will “rope in ex-military personnel” to train the state’s police force.
“AFSPA will be lifted from the entire state by November. This will facilitate the replacement of CAPFs by Assam Police Battalions. However, presence of CAPFs as required by law shall be in place,” one of the highlights from his speech made at the conference stated.
Steps will be taken to ensure that there is positive change in the mindset of the forces, it will also be ensured that good and professional police officers are posted as Commandants, Sarma further said.
AFSPA currently extended in eight districts
The law was first imposed in the state in 1990 and is extended following a review every six months. Currently, the Act is operational in the districts of Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Charaideo, Sivasagar, Jorhat, Golaghat, Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao districts as well as Lakhipur subdivision of Cachar district.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said in April last year that the Union government was making efforts to remove the Act from the north-eastern state. However, since then it has been extended on two occasions – October and March.
The demand for revoking the controversial Act gained momentum with the Nagaland killings, when 14 civilians were killed by security forces in Nagaland’s Oting village in Mon district on December 4, 2021.