Aiming to withdraw AFSPA by end of 2023, says Assam CM Himanta Sarma

Aiming to withdraw AFSPA by end of 2023, says Assam CM Himanta Sarma

Team TAJ May 22, 2023

 



Himanta Biswa Sarma, the chief minister of Assam, declared on Monday that his state's goal was to totally repeal the contentious Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) by the end of 2023.


CM Sarma tweeted, "We will also employ ex-military personnel to train our police force."




At the Commandants Conference on May 22, he made the declaration. By November, the AFSPA will no longer apply to the entire state. This will make it easier for Assam Police Battalions to take the position of CAPFs. However, presence of CAPFs as required by law shall be in place, according to one of the speech's key points from the conference.

The Disturbed Areas notification under the AFSPA was repealed by the Centre last year, although it remained in effect in around nine districts and one subdivision of another district throughout the whole state of Assam. However, as of April 1, 2023, the notice was removed from one more state district, limiting AFSPA to just eight districts in Assam.

After a state or portions of a state are deemed "disturbed" under Section 3 of the AFSPA, the Centre or the Governor of the state may impose exceptional powers for the armed forces on the state or portions of the state. These are places that are "in such disturbed or dangerous condition that the use of armed forces in aid of the civil power is necessary," according to the Act. In regions where militancy has been widespread, AFSPA has been deployed.

The Act, which has been dubbed draconian, offers the military forces broad authority. It enables them to shoot anyone who disobeys the law or is in possession of weapons and ammunition, even if doing so results in death. They are given the authority to inspect properties without a warrant and make warrantless arrests of anybody they have "reasonable suspicion" about.

 

Team TAJ

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