Page 2 - Afspa

Assam CM meets Shah to discuss roadmap for complete withdrawal of Afspa

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday met Union Home Minister Amit Shah at his residence in New Delhi to discuss the roadmap for the complete withdrawal of Afspa

Assam mulls full withdrawal of AFSPA by year-end: CM Himanta Sarma

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday said his government will take necessary steps to withdraw AFSPA from the entire state by the end of this year. The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 (AFSPA) is now limited to only eight districts of the northeastern state, he said. Hoisting the national flag on the occasion of the 77th Independence Day here, Sarma also said around 8,000 "revolutionaries" have returned to the mainstream in the last three years. "I want to assure the people of Assam that by the end of this year, we will take fruitful steps to withdraw the AFSPA from every district of Assam. That will be an 'amritmoy' time for Assam's history and we are eagerly waiting for that day," he said. Since the beginning of its application in the state more than three decades ago, the extension of the AFSPA was recommended 62 times, Sarma said. "The northeast region is now free from terrorism. In the last three years, four peace accords have been signed with ...

Mothers of Manipur: Meet Meira Paibis, the torch-bearing activists

The Meira Paibis has led numerous social and political movements in Manipur, including some powerful protests against alleged atrocities committed by the security forces

India changed mindset of world including US on terrorism issue: Rajnath

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday said the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) had been removed from large parts of the northeast and he was waiting for "permanent peace" in Jammu and Kashmir so it could be removed from the union territory too. Speaking at a National Security Conclave here, the Union minister also asserted that India has changed the mindset of the whole world, including the US, on the issue of terrorism. Today, AFSPA has been removed from large parts of the northeast. I am waiting for the day when permanent peace will come in Jammu and Kashmir and AFSPA will be removed from here too, Singh said. Jammu and Kashmir, he said, has suffered the brunt of terrorism for a long time and people here know how the poison of terrorism hollows out the society. Noting that the entire network of terrorism was operating in Jammu and Kashmir for decades, he said, Today strict action has been taken against that network by weakening it to a great extent. We have stopped the

AFSPA to be completely withdrawn from Assam this year: CM Himanta Sarma

"In such a situation, Assam Police battalions would be empowered to replace Central Armed Police Forces other than the number of CAPFs whose presence is mandatory in the state as per law," he said

Assam govt plans to remove AFSPA from five districts: CM Himanta

The Assam government was working to remove the Armed Forces Special Powers Act from five more districts as the law and order situation in the state had improved considerably during the last two years, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday The removal of the AFSPA from 60 percent of the state and signing of peace accords with several armed groups of the state has led to an atmosphere of peace, the Chief Minister said while addressing a press conference to mark the completion of two years of his government. 'Prime Minister Narendra Modi's various initiatives has led to peace agreements with several armed groups, removal of AFSPA from 60 percent of the state, besides resolving boundary issues with Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya', he said. He said that this has given a message of hope for the youth and 'we hope that the AFSPA will also be removed from five more districts by the end of this year'. The centre had removed AFSPA from April 1,2022 from the entire state of As

North East students' body urges Centre to revoke AFSPA from all NE states

The North East Students' Organisation (NESO), the apex body of student outfits in the region, has demanded the complete removal of AFSPA and implementation of Inner Line Permit (ILP) in the entire Northeast. NESO chairman Samuel B Jywra, in a press conference here on Tuesday, demanded that Common University Entrance Test (CUET) should not be conducted for the northeastern states as students of the region lag behind pupils in other parts of the country in many aspects. NESO advisor Samujjal Bhattacharya demanded the establishment of more technical and non-technical institutions in the region. He demanded that illegal Bangladeshi immigrants in the region be identified as deported. "NESO opposes the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act," Bhattacharya said. He said the region has faced a "lot of atrocities" due to Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958, with the latest being the killing of 13 daily wagers at Oting in Nagaland's Mon district on December 4, 2021. "We have .

AFSPA to be extended in 8 Assam districts for another 6 months from April 1

The Assam government will extend the 'disturbed area' tag under the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) for another six months in eight districts of the state from April 1. It will be extended for Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Charaideo, Sivasagar, Jorhat, Golaghat, Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao, according to a notification issued by the state home and political department. The tag, however, would be lifted from Lakhipur sub-division of Cachar district from April 1, following a review of the law and order scenario in the state. The Centre had earlier announced removal of AFSPA from April 1, 2022 from the entire state of Assam barring nine districts and a sub-division of Cachar district. The state was declared a 'disturbed area' under AFSPA during the intervening night of November 27-28, 1990, and this has been extended every six months since then.

Assam govt extends AFSPA in eight districts for another 6 months

The Assam government has extended the 'disturbed area' notification under the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) for another six months in eight districts of the state from April one next. The disturbed area tag has been extended for Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Charaideo, Sivasagar, Jorhat, Golaghat, Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao, according to a notification, issued by the state home and political department, released to the media on Wednesday. The 'disturbed area' tag will, however, be lifted from Lakhipur sub-division of Cachar district from April 1, following a review of the law and order and security scenario in the state. The centre had earlier announced removal AFSPA from April 1, 2022 from the entire state of Assam barring nine districts and a sub-division of Cachar district. The state was declared a 'disturbed area' under AFSPA during the intervening night of November 27-28, 1990 and this has been extended every six months since then. It was last extended for six months on

Sarbananda Sonowal welcomes AFSPA withdrawal from more parts of Northeast

Union minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Sunday welcomed the lifting of AFSPA from more parts of the Northeast, maintaining it will ensure further growth of the region. He also maintained that militants are leaving the path of violence and joining nation-building efforts in the northeastern states. "Further relaxation of Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 or AFSPA from many areas of Assam, Nagaland and Manipur is another welcome step by the Modi govt," Sonowal said in a statement here. He said sustained and conscious efforts by Prime Minister Narendra Modi have resulted in permanent peace in the region. "On behalf of all the people of the region, I extend my heartfelt gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah," the former Assam chief minister said. Sonowal maintained that "dark days of violence, disturbance and insurgency during the Congress government" are now things of past. "The insurgents have chosen to reject the road of violence as they jo

Himanta says Assam govt considering withdrawing AFSPA from two more areas

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday said his government is considering withdrawing AFSPA from two more locations in the state. The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 (AFSPA) was extended for six months from October 1 with the continuation of the 'Disturbed Area' tag for Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Charaideo, Sivasagar, Jorhat, Golaghat, Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao districts along with Lakhipur sub-division of Cachar in the Barak valley. The government had withdrawn the controversial law from West Karbi Anglong district as the situation "considerably improved" there. The Armed Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 empowers security forces to conduct operations and arrest anyone without any prior warrant besides giving immunity from arrest and prosecution to the security forces if they shoot someone dead. "Peace has returned to Assam and Northeast. Today, AFSPA is withdrawn from 65 per cent areas of the state. In the future, we are considering to withdraw it from ...

Will remove AFSPA only after installing peace: Amit Shah in Assam

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday said that the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government would remove Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) only after installing peace in northeast India."Rahul Gandhi gave Congress an agenda to remove AFSPA from the northeast if they came to power (in 2019), for the sake of appeasement. When it was asked of me, I said we will first bring peace in the northeast and then only will remove AFSPA, which would not happen just for appeasement," Amit Shah said addressing a public gathering at the inauguration of the newly built BJP office-- Atal Bihari Vajpayee Bhawan in Guwahati, which is spread over 95,000 square feet and is the party's biggest office in the northeastern region, expected to be full of all modern amenities.The Ministry of Home Affairs recently extended the AFSPA, an act that empowers the armed forces to maintain public order in "disturbed areas," in some parts of the northeast for another six months.In an order on October 1, the ...

Centre extends AFSPA in 9 districts of Nagaland till March 30, 2023

The Central government has extended the AFSPA in 9 districts of Nagaland including Dimapur, Niuland, Chumoukedima, Mon, Kiphire, Noklak, Phek, Peren and Zunheboto from Saturday to March 30 next year

Kashmir: Back to the future

Govt must work for lasting political peace

Not by autonomy alone

Opposition politicians talking about autonomy for central agencies are hypocritical when they discourage it in the states they govern

Beyond the sedition law

The IPC alone offers a bouquet of choices to suppress freedom of expression

Pragmatic decision

All draconian laws must be reviewed

Law and order situation improves in Assam, AFSPA to be revoked soon: Shah

Union Home Minister said that due to the efforts of the Centre and CM Himanta Biswa Sarma, most of the militant outfits have entered into peace agreements

Confident AFSPA will soon be revoked from entire Assam: Amit Shah

The Armed Forces Special Powers Act has been revoked from 23 districts, and partially from one district. I am confident that it will be completely withdrawn from the entire state soon, he said

Efforts on to remove AFSPA completely from Northeast: PM Modi

PM Modi also said the effect of the BJP's "double engine" government is evident in the return of permanent peace and speedy development in Assam