The Armed Forces Special Power Act (AFSPA), 1958, has been extended in Dimapur, Niuland, Chumoukedima, Mon, Kiphire, Noklak, Phek, and Peren districts of the state
By Imna Longchar, TFM Nagaland Correspondent
In a notification issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, on March 27, the Armed Forces Special Power Act (AFSPA) has been once again extended for another six months within eight districts in Nagaland and covering 21 police stations while five other districts of Nagaland as “disturbed area” starting April 1.
The Armed Forces Special Power Act (AFSPA), 1958, has been extended in Dimapur, Niuland, Chumoukedima, Mon, Kiphire, Noklak, Phek, and Peren districts of the state.
The notification issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs, GoI, stated that the act covers areas under the jurisdiction of 21 police stations which included five under Kohima, six each under Mokokokchung and Zunheboto, three in Wokha, and one in Longleng jurisdictions.
Amongst the 21 police stations included Khuzama, Kohima (North & South), Zubza, and Kezocha PS under Kohima district, Mangkolemba, Mokokchung-I, Longtho, Tuli Longchem, and Anaki ‘C’ falls under Mokokchung district, while Yanglok in Longleng, Bhandari, Champang, and Ralan, under Wokha district are also the police stations included along with Ghatashi, Pughoboto, Satakha, Suruhoto, and Aghunato police stations under Zunheboto district.
As per the notification being circulated by MoHA, Government of India, the GoI took the step following a “review” of the law and order situation in Nagaland since the enforcement of the Act in 1958.
It stated that the “controversial law” has been partially lifted in the state after decades of its enforcement following the Oting, Mon, killing incidents on December 4, 2021, where the Indian army belonging to the 21 Para Special Force had opened fire at a truck transporting eight coal miners from Tiru on way to their home to Oting mistaken them to be cadres of the banned NSCN (Khaplang-Yung Aung).
In the MoHA’s notification, it also mentioned that the “disturbed area” notification was withdrawn from 18 police stations in eight districts of Nagaland within the year 2022-23 while also informing three districts—Tuensang, Shamator, and Tseminyu are free from the Act.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Home Affairs at the centre has also informed that it has extended the AFSPA for another six months in certain districts of Arunachal Pradesh by citing that the districts which fall under the regime included Tirap, Changlang, Longding, and certain areas falling under the jurisdiction of Namsai, Mahadevpur, and Chowkham police stations in Namsai district bordering Assam.