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Context:
AFSPA has been revoked from Meghalaya and parts of Arunachal Pradesh owing to improvement in security situation.
What has happened?
- The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) has been revoked from Meghalaya since 1st April
- In Arunachal Pradesh, the impact of AFSPA has been reduced to eight police stations instead of 16 police stations
What is AFSPA?
- AFSPA came into force due to rising insurgencies in the north-eastern states
- Armed Forces Special Powers Act was introduced in 1958
- It gives armed forces the power to maintain public order in “disturbed areas”.
Gives armed forces the power to:
- kill anyone acting in contravention of law,
- Arrest and search any premises without a warrant
- Provide cover to forces from prosecution and legal suits without the Centre’s sanction.
What is a ‘disturbed area’?
- It is declared by notification under Section 3 of the AFSPA.
- An area can be disturbed due to disputes between members of different religious, racial, language or regional groups or castes or communities.
Who can declare a ‘disturbed area’?
Central Government or the Governor of the state or administrator of UT
Which states are/had been under AFSPA?
- Effective in the whole of Nagaland, Assam, Manipur (excluding seven assembly constituencies of Imphal)
- In Arunachal Pradesh it was in force in 16 police stations and in Tirap, Longding and Changlang districts bordering Assam
- In Meghalaya,it was effective in a 20 km area along the Assam-Meghalaya border
- Tripura withdrew the AFSPA in 2015
- Jammu and Kashmir has a similar Act
Changes in Protected Area Permit (PAP):
- Under the Foreigners (Protected Areas) Order, 1958, all areas falling between the Inner line and the International Border of some States were declared as protected areas.
- PAP for foreigners visiting Manipur, Mizoram and Nagaland has been relaxed
- The PAP will be valid for five years with effect from 1st April
- However, residents from Pakistan, Afghanistan and China will not be allowed to visit these areas.
