Imphal Mar 31 PTI Union Home Minister Amit Shahs announcement that 15 police station areas of six districts of Manipur will be excluded from Disturbed Areas notification was welcomed cautiously by prominent social activists in the state which has been in the frontline of movements against AFSPA who at the same time expressed dissatisfaction that the draconian Act has not been totally repealed However Chief Minister N Biren Singh said the decision to reduce the number of areas where Armed Forces Special Powers Act is in force will usher in a new era of peace prosperity and development Taking to his official Facebook account Biren Singh remarked considering the sentiment of the people of Manipur Honble PM Narendra Modi has decided to reduce disturbed areas under Armed Forces Special Powers Act AFSPA in Manipur This historic decision is a result of the robust development and improved security situation Editor of Imphal Times and social activist Rinku Khumukcham welcomed the new development but said The movement for repeal of the inhumane AFSPA or its amendment in favour of a more humane one still stands He pointed out that already provisions included in IPC and CrPc are sufficient to handle the insurgency situation in Manipur He cited the instance of Naxal-hit areas in mainland India where AFSPA has not been imposed but operations by the military and security forces are going on Director Human Rights Alert Babloo Loitongbam also said we welome it Its a step in the right direction but our movement for the repeal of AFSPA will continue Executive editor of The Frontier Manipur Paojel Chaoba who was detained under Unlawful Activities Prevention Act UAPA in 2021 for an article published on the news web-portal but eventually released said We too welcome it for it is overdue However AFSPA should be revoked by the state He pointed out that instead of merely rolling it back from 15 police station areas it would have been better if AFSPA has been rolled-back from the entire valley area of Manipur Manipur has a long history of civic protests against the AFSPA and excesses committed by security forces which gives certain extra-judicial powers to troops deployed in states where the law is in operation In November 2000 10 civilians were allegedly gunned down by Assam Rifles troops at Malom Makha Leikai near Imphal airport The incident inspired a young Irom Sharmila to start the longest known hunger strike against AFSPAThough Sharmila was arrested and force-fed in hospital her protest gained world-wide media attention to this act PTI COR JRC JRC

New Delhi Dec 30 PTI The Centre on Thursday declared the entire Nagaland as a disturbed area for six more months with effect from December 30 under the AFSPA while terming the states condition disturbed and dangerousThe move came days after the Union government constituted a high-level committee to examine the possibility of the withdrawal of the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act from NagalandThe AFSPA has been operational in Nagaland for decadesWhereas the Central government is of the opinion that the area comprising the whole of the State of Nagaland is in such a disturbed and dangerous condition that the use of armed forces in aid of the civil power is necessaryNow therefore in exercise of the powers conferred by Section 3 of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act 1958 No28 of 1958 the Central Government hereby declares that whole of the State of Nagaland to be disturbed area for a period of six months with effect from December 30 2021 for the purpose of the said Act a home ministry notification saidThe notification was issued by the additional secretary in the Home Ministry Piyush Goyal who has been named the member secretary in the panel to examine the possibility of the withdrawal of the AFSPA The committee is headed by secretary-level officer Vivek JoshiThe high-level committee has been set up apparently to soothe the rising tension in Nagaland over the killing of 14 civiliansProtests for the withdrawal of the AFSPA have been going on in several districts of Nagaland ever since an Army unit killed 14 civilians in the states Mon district earlier this month mistaking them as insurgentsThe AFSPA empowers security forces to conduct operations and arrest anyone without any prior warrant It also gives immunity to the forces if they shoot someone dead PTI ACB NSD NSD

New Delhi [India], December 8 (ANI): A delegation of eight Trinamool Congress MPs will meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday to hand over a memorandum seeking compensation to families of those who died in an anti-insurgency incident that went off script in Nagaland, and asking Government to present its stance on Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, said the party sources.