Time’s up for AFSPA
PRIME Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement that efforts are on to revoke the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) completely from the Northeast is expected to pave the way for making the region free of this contentious law sooner than later. The 64-year-old Act outlived its utility long ago and degenerated into a lethal weapon for unleashing and legitimising excesses against the local population. It was a month ago that the Centre had announced a reduction in the number of ‘disturbed areas’ under AFSPA in Assam, Nagaland and Manipur. According to the annual report of the Ministry of Home Affairs, incidents of insurgency in the northeastern states reduced by 80 per cent in the past eight years; casualties of security forces fell by 75 per cent and civilian deaths went down by 99 per cent. These figures show that sustained peace has been achieved in the region and there is no longer any need for a sledgehammer law that has received far more brickbats than bouquets over the decades.
Last week, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh attempted to remove the ‘public misconception’ that the Army wanted AFSPA to remain in force. He said the continuation or revocation of the Act depended solely on the prevailing situation, while asserting that the Army was not meant for maintaining internal security as this was the responsibility of other security forces and the state police. The onus is now on the Army to take an unambiguous stand against AFSPA. There is no denying that the withdrawal of this Act will prove to be a blessing for the upright officers who have been reluctantly condoning atrocities committed by their own troops.
The Army’s image has indeed taken a hit due to frequent allegations of gross misuse of this law. In 2016, the Supreme Court had made it clear that the Act did not provide blanket immunity to Army personnel during anti-insurgency operations, but the transgressions continued despite the strictures. It’s time for a new dawn in the once-troubled Northeast. Hopefully, the region will witness speedy development without disruptions once AFSPA becomes a thing of the past.
