Northeast Desk, 6th August: Minister of State for Home Affairs, Nityanand Rai, announced a significant reduction in areas classified as ‘disturbed’ under the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 (AFSPA) in the Northeast. This development follows a gradual reduction in the Act’s application since 2014. Rai’s statement, made in response to a Lok Sabha query, highlighted the improved security situation in the region, noting a 71% reduction in insurgency incidents, a 60% decrease in deaths of security forces personnel, and an 82% decrease in civilian fatalities in 2023 compared to 2014.
The withdrawal of AFSPA has varied across the Northeast. In Assam, the Act has been fully removed from all districts except four. Tripura saw the complete withdrawal of AFSPA on May 27, 2015, while Meghalaya’s withdrawal took effect on April 1, 2018. In Arunachal Pradesh, AFSPA has been gradually reduced and is now applicable only in three police station areas in Namsai district and three districts: Tirap, Changlang, and Longding. Manipur has seen AFSPA removed from 19 police station areas in seven districts.
In Nagaland, AFSPA has been partially withdrawn, with its application now limited to eight districts and 21 police station areas across five other districts. The reduction in AFSPA’s application reflects the overall improvement in the security environment across the Northeast region.
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