Aiming To Completely Remove AFSPA From State By End of This year: Assam CM Himanta

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday announced that he is aiming to withdraw the controversial Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) completely from the state by the end of this year.

Speaking at the Commandants Conference, Sarma said, “We are aiming at withdrawing AFSPA completely from Assam by the end of 2023. AFSPA may be lifted from the entire state by November.”

“This will facilitate the replacement of the CAPFs by Assam Police Battalions. However the presence of CAPFs are required by law shall be in place,” he added.

As of now, eight districts in Assam come under the AFSPA Act of 1958. In this, security forces can conduct operations and arrest anyone without any warrant. The act also gives immunity from arrest and prosecution to the security forces if they shoot someone dead.

The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 (AFSPA) was extended for six months from October 1 with the continuation of the ‘Disturbed Area’ tag for Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Charaideo, Sivasagar, Jorhat, Golaghat, Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao districts along with Lakhipur sub-division of Cachar in the Barak valley.

The government had withdrawn the controversial law from West Karbi Anglong district as the situation “considerably improved” there.

In October last year, Sarma had said that his government was considering withdrawing AFSPA from two more locations in the state.