Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that efforts are being made to completely remove AFSPA from the Northeast region. Addressing a “peace, unity and development” rally here, he said the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act could be repealed after the improvement in the law and order situation in various parts of the region. Earlier, bombs and bullets resonated in these areas and now there is applause. Significantly, the Center had announced to reduce the affected areas under AFSPA in Nagaland, Assam and Manipur from April 1 after decades.
Addressing a rally from Diphu in Assam on Thursday, Prime Minister Modi said the impact of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s ‘double engine’ government is visible in the return of lasting peace and rapid development in Assam.
PM Modi said that the government has signed peace agreements in Karbi Anglong and Tripura in Assam, while efforts are being made to bring lasting peace and speedy development in the entire region. The Prime Minister laid the foundation stone of Veterinary Science and Agriculture Colleges and a Model Government College at Karbi Anglong.
AFSPA removed from 23 districts from Assam
PM Modi said “In Assam, it has been in force for more than three decades now. Due to the lack of improvement in the situation, the earlier governments used to increase its enforcement time and again. But in recent years, AFSPA has been removed from 23 districts of Assam due to improvement in the ground situation. We are trying to normalize the situation in other parts of the state so that AFSPA can be removed from there also. Similar efforts are underway in Nagaland and Manipur also.”
Armed Forces Act came in 1942
The British promulgated the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Ordinance in August 1942 to crush the Indian independence movement during World War II. AFSPA is based on this colonial-era ordinance and was promulgated in Parliament in September 1958. It is the law that allows the armed forces to control public order in certain areas.
PM also said on the border dispute of the northeastern states
PM Modi praised the northeastern states for resolving the border dispute. He referred to the Assam-Meghalaya Boundary Agreement and said it could help resolve disputes in other states in the region as well. The chief ministers of Assam and Meghalaya had signed an agreement in March to resolve the five-decade-old border dispute.
The PM also praised the peace accords signed with six insurgent organizations in Karbi Anglong last September as well as with three Bodo organizations in 2020. Said that “Earlier the sound of bombs and gunfire reverberated in these parts, but now we hear the clap. Our regular and sincere efforts are on to bring lasting peace in all other areas as well.”