Centre not to withdraw AFSPA from Nagaland

The central government, which recently handed over its power to the respective state governments of Assam and Manipur to decide whether the aggressive law of AFSPA should continue in their states or not, has decided not to let the state government of Nagaland decide whether the law should remain in their state or not.

The Armed Force Special Provisions Act gives enormous powers to the security personals deployed in the region where the law is imposed. It empowers the security personals to make searches, arrests and killings without any warrant or fear of prosecution.

At present, this law is being practiced in the North-eastern states and regions such as Nagaland, Manipur, Assam and some parts of Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya.

Among these states and regions, only Nagaland and some parts of Arunachal Pradesh is keeping the law at the behest of the central government. In other states, the authority to decide on whether the controversial law should continue has been handed to the respective state governments.

Some sources living in Nagaland have hoped that once the centre and rebels successfully finalise the peace agreement the land will become free from all kinds of miseries inflicted by the AFSPA.

Is there any politics in the centre’s decision?

Vignesh. S. G

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