The Centre has extended the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA), 1958, in specified areas of Manipur, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh for another six months from October 1, according to Gazette notifications issued on September 25. The decision followed a further review of the law and order situation in the three northeastern states.
Under the notifications, the Act will remain in force in the notified areas for six months from October 1, unless withdrawn earlier. Section 3 of AFSPA allows the Central government to declare an area a “disturbed area” when it considers the use of armed forces necessary to deal with a situation involving serious disturbance of public order.
In Manipur, the Centre has extended the declaration of the state as a “disturbed area”, while excluding areas under the jurisdiction of 13 police stations in five districts.
The excluded areas include Imphal, Lamphel, City, Singjamei, Patsoi and Wangoi police stations in Imphal West; Porompat, Heingang and Irilbung in Imphal East; Thoubal police station in Thoubal; Bishnupur and Nambol in Bishnupur district; and Kakching police station in Kakching district.
The extension comes against the backdrop of the continuing security situation in Manipur, where ethnic violence has persisted since May 2023.
In Nagaland, AFSPA has been extended in nine districts — Dimapur, Niuland, Chumoukedima, Mon, Kiphire, Noklak, Phek, Peren and Meluri. These districts have been declared “disturbed areas” under Section 3 of the Act.
The notification also covers areas under the jurisdiction of 21 police stations across five other districts of Nagaland — Kohima, Mokokchung, Longleng, Wokha and Zunheboto.
In Arunachal Pradesh, the extension covers Tirap, Changlang and Longding districts. It also applies to areas under Namsai, Mahadevpur and Chowkham police stations in Namsai district, which border Assam.
The notifications cited a “further review of the law and order situation” as the basis for continuing AFSPA provisions in the three states. The Ministry of Home Affairs maintains a list of current AFSPA notifications for the northeastern states.
