AFSPA Extended In Parts Of Arunachal, Manipur, Nagaland, Pg12

Key Highlights:

• The Union Home Ministry extended the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) for another six months in parts of Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, and Nagaland.
• In Manipur, the Act remains in force across the entire state, excluding the jurisdiction of 13 police stations in five valley districts.
• The extension in Manipur is attributed to ongoing ethnic violence that began on May 3, 2023.
• Nagaland saw the extension of AFSPA in nine districts and 21 police stations across five other districts.
• In Arunachal Pradesh, three districts and three police stations in a bordering district were declared "disturbed areas."

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Detailed Insights:

• The AFSPA was reimposed in six police stations in five districts of Manipur on November 14, 2024, following the 2023 ethnic violence.
• President's Rule was imposed in Manipur on February 13, 2025, and subsequently revoked on February 4 of the current year.
• Prior to the recent violence, AFSPA had been withdrawn from all valley police stations in Manipur between April 1, 2022, and April 1, 2023, due to an improved security situation.
• The Act was initially withdrawn from the Imphal municipality area in 2004.
• The AFSPA, enacted in 1958, grants sweeping powers to the Army and Central Armed Police Forces in "disturbed areas."
• These powers include the authority to shoot to kill, arrest and search without a warrant, and protection from prosecution without central government sanction.
• AFSPA has been applicable in Manipur since 1981, with the state attaining statehood in 1972.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA): A parliamentary act granting special powers to Indian Armed Forces and paramilitary forces in areas declared as "disturbed" to maintain public order.
• Disturbed Area: An area declared by the Central Government or the Governor/Administrator of a state/union territory where public peace is significantly disrupted by disputes among various groups, necessitating the aid of armed forces.
• President's Rule: The temporary suspension of state government and imposition of direct rule by the Central Government, typically due to a breakdown of constitutional machinery in a state.