Nagaland govt remains firm on its demand for AFSPA repeal, affirms CM Neiphiu Rio

Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio on Wednesday said that the Nagaland government is now firmly demanding the repeal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from the state. He said that the state is sticking to the unanimous resolution adopted in the state assembly on December 20, 2021, demanding the repeal of the controversial Act. The demand to repeal AFSPA escalated after 14 civilians were killed and several others were injured in three separate incidents of firing by security forces spread over two days last month in the region.

Speaking to media on the sidelines of a programme at Kiruphema, Nagaland CM Neiphiu Rio said that the state government is standing firm on the resolution adopted in the House. The CM’s statement came after the Union Home Ministry's decision on December 30 last year to extend the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA),1958, for another six months in Nagaland. Earlier on December 20, 2021, the state Assembly had also passed a resolution against the act considering the demand of the Naga public and also the state Cabinet.

AFSPA repeal demand

The demand to repeal AFSPA escalated after 6 coal mine labourers were killed in an ambush by security forces while they were returning to the Oting village of the Mon district in Nagaland on December 6. Subsequently, there was a backlash from angry locals, leading to the death of 8 more civilians as well as one security personnel. Maintaining that the security forces attack was carried out based on "credible intelligence inputs" on the likely movement of insurgents, the Indian Army expressed regret on the incident and its aftermath.

AFSPA was first enacted on September 11, 1958, to bring the situation under control in conflict-hit areas. This law empowers the Armed Forces personnel to use force even to the extent of causing death, destroy structures used as hideouts, training camps, or from where attacks are likely to be launched and arrest anyone without a warrant. At present, AFSPA is in force in Assam, Nagaland, Manipur (excluding Imphal Municipal Council Area), Changlang, Longding and Tirap districts of Arunachal Pradesh, and areas falling within the jurisdiction of Namsai and Mahadevpur police stations in the Namsai district. 

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