Ganesh Kendale
The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (Afspa) has been extended in four districts of Assam for another six months, citing potential threats to internal law and order following “recent disturbances” in neighboring Bangladesh.
According to a notification issued on Tuesday, the districts of Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Charaideo, and Sivasagar will remain designated as “disturbed areas” under Afspa.
The extension comes as reports highlighted significant improvements in the state’s security situation over the past few years. This progress, attributed to sustained counter-insurgency operations by security forces, has been particularly notable in the last three years, the notification said.
However, authorities raised concerns over the ripple effect of unrest in Bangladesh, which could undermine internal security in Assam. “Due to the recent disturbances in the neighboring country Bangladesh and its potentially inimical effect on internal law and order, the Government of Assam recommends that the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 be retained for another six months,” the notification read.
The proposal to extend Afspa was submitted to the ministry of home affairs, which, after consideration, decided to maintain the “status quo” in the four districts from October 1, 2024.
These districts have been under Afspa since October 2023, following a phased withdrawal of the law from other parts of Assam. Last year, Afspa was removed from the districts of Jorhat, Golaghat, Karbi Anglong, and Dima Hasao, and previously from additional regions. The act was initially imposed in Assam in November 1990 and has been continuously extended every six months.
Afspa grants special powers to security forces, allowing them to conduct operations, arrest individuals without warrants, and providing them with a degree of immunity in case of operational fallout.
Despite the government’s stance, civil society groups and human rights activists have consistently opposed the act, labeling it “draconian” and accusing it of enabling human rights violations by armed forces in the region. Calls for its repeal intensified after a tragic incident in Mon district, Nagaland, in December 2021, where 14 civilians were killed during a botched anti-insurgency operation, sparking widespread outrage and retaliatory violence.
