The Union Home Ministry on Wednesday declared the entire state of Nagaland as a ‘disturbed area’ for six more months under the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act.
A gazette notification said the Centre was of the opinion that the area comprising the whole of Nagaland is in such a disturbed condition that the use of armed forces in aid of civil power is necessary.
The home ministry is its release said, “Whereas 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 the aid of civil power is necessary.”
“Therefore, in exercise of the powers conferred by Section 3 of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 (No 28 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, 2020, for the purpose of the said Act,” the notification further said.
The AFSPA gives the armed forces sweeping powers to search and arrest, and to open fire if they deem it necessary for “the maintenance of public order”.
Nagaland has been under the coverage of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) for almost six decades and it was not withdrawn even after a framework agreement was signed on August 3, 2015, by Naga insurgent group National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Isak Muivah) General Secretary Thuingaleng Muivah and government interlocutor R N Ravi in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
