Guwahati: The Assam government on September 30, 2023, extended the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 (AFSPA) for another six months in four districts of the state – Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Charaideo, and Sivasagar. The AFSPA was withdrawn from four other districts – Lakhimpur, Dhemaji, Sonitpur, and Chirang.
The decision to extend the AFSPA in four districts and withdraw it from four others was taken after a review of the security situation in the state. The Assam government said that the AFSPA is still necessary in the four districts where it has been extended to maintain law and order.
The AFSPA gives special powers to the armed forces in “disturbed areas” to search and arrest without a warrant, to detain people for up to six months without trial, and to use deadly force if they believe it is necessary to maintain public order.
The AFSPA gives special powers to the armed forces in “disturbed areas” to search and arrest without a warrant, to detain people for up to six months without trial, and to use deadly force if they believe it is necessary to maintain public order.
The AFSPA has been in force in Assam since 1990, when the state was facing an insurgency by the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA). The ULFA insurgency has since weakened, but the Assam government says that the AFSPA is still necessary to deal with other threats to security, such as militancy from other groups and drug trafficking.
Human rights groups have criticized the AFSPA, saying that it gives too much power to the armed forces and that it has been used to commit human rights abuses. However, the Assam government says that the AFSPA is necessary to maintain security in the state.
The extension of the AFSPA in four districts of Assam is a controversial decision. Some people believe that the AFSPA is necessary to maintain security, while others believe that it is a draconian law that violates human rights. The Supreme Court of India is currently considering a challenge to the constitutionality of the AFSPA.