Despite protests and Assembly resolution, AFSPA extended in Nagaland

New Delhi: Amid protests, Assembly resolution and political rows, the Centre on Thursday morning
extended application of the Armed Forces Special Power Act (AFSPA) by six months.

“..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 AFSPA, 1958, (No. 2 of 1958) the central government hereby declares the whole of the state of Nagaland to be ‘disturbed area’ for a period of six months with effect from Dec 30, 2021 for the purpose of the said Act,” an order from Additional Secretary Home, Piyush Goyal said.

An AFSPA review panel was set up by the Centre on Monday and it is to be headed by Census chief
Dr Vivek Joshi.

The Nagaland Assembly had on December 20 passed a unanimous official resolution seeking immediate repeal of
the controversial law.

Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Home, Piyush Goyal will be the member secretary of the panel, and it
will have Lt Gen P C Nair, DG Assam Rifles among others as the members.

Other members of the committee are J Alam, Chief Secretary, Nagaland, T. John Longkumer, DGP, Nagaland,
Dr M S Tuli, Joint Director Intelligence Bureau and Lt Gen B S Raju, DG Military Operations, will be the special invitee.

“The terms of reference of the committee shall be to review the application of AFSPA in Nagaland and make suitable recommendations within a period of three months.”

The Christmas festival went off this month in predominantly Christian-stronghold Nagaland state in a dampened
mood this year.

Protesters even burned effigies of Union Home Minister Amt Shah in remote Tizit area for allegedly
‘misleading’ the Parliament on December 4 shooting at Oting in Nagaland where local Konyak
Naga coal miners were killed in a botched up anti-insurgency operation.

The AFSPA has been enforced in Nagaland since 1958.

The enforcement of AFSPA in Nagaland (erstwhile Naga Hills) was preceded by the Assam Maintenance of
Public Order Act 1947 on June 15,1948 in response to the ‘Naga independence’ movement by the NNC.

Naga National Council claimed ‘independence’ for Nagaland on August 14,1947.

Insurgency in Nagaland started way back in the 1940s when doyen of ‘Naga freedom movement’
A Zapu Phizo had floated the Naga National Council. It is also the oldest insurgency in the region.

Mizoram too had seen serious insurgent activities but during the tenure of Rajiv Gandhi as
Prime Minister, the rebel group Mizo National Front had come forward and signed a peace
accord in 1986.

Full-fledged statehood was granted to Nagaland in 1963 with a 16-point Agreement inked
between Naga groups and the Centre but the insurgency still continued and multiple groups emerged at a later stage.

–INDIA NEWS STREAM