Guwahati: In a major step, the Assam Government on Thursday withdrew the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act from Karbi Anglong district while extending the act in eight districts and one sub-division for six months.
According to a PTI report, the government said that the Karbi Anglong district has been exempted after a considerable improvement in the law and order situation.
The extension of six months is effective from October 1. The order dated October 15 stated that nine districts and one sub-division were kept under the AFSPA since April 1 as a “disturbed area” after withdrawing the legislation from the rest of the state.
“A review of the law and order and security scenario in Assam in the recent past indicates that the situation has considerably improved in West Karbi Anglong district of the state … The Governor of Assam is pleased to withdraw the declaration of ‘Disturbed Area’ with effect from 01.10.2022 from West Karbi Anglong,” the order said.
Districts that continue to be disturbed areas are Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Charaideo, Sivasagar, Jorhat, Golaghat, and Dima Hasao besides Lakhipur sub-division of Cachar in the Barak Valley.
The act was imposed in Assam in November 1990 and has been extended every six months since then after a review of the situation by the state government.
AFSPA allows security forces to conduct operations anywhere and arrest anyone without any prior warrant. It also gives a certain level of immunity to the security forces in case of an operation going wrong.
Civil society groups and rights activists have been demanding withdrawal of the “draconian law” from the entire North East claiming violation of human rights by the armed forces.
(With Agency Inputs)