Imphal: The Centre on Thursday reimposed the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in six police station areas of Manipur, including the violence-hit Jiribam district.
In a notification, the Union Home Ministry stated that the decision to reimpose AFSPA was taken given the continuous volatile situation in the state owing to the ongoing ethnic violence
An area or district is notified as “disturbed” under AFSPA to facilitate operations by the armed forces. AFSPA gives armed forces operating in disturbed areas sweeping powers to search, arrest and open fire if they deem it necessary for the “maintenance of public order”.
The police station areas where AFSPA has been reimposed are Sekmai and Lamsang in Imphal West district, Lamlai in Imphal East district, Jiribam in Jiribam district, Leimakhong in Kangpokpi district and Moirang in Bishnupur district.
Notably, on 1 October, the Manipur government imposed AFSPA in the entire state, barring 19 police station areas that included these six.
The police stations excluded from the Manipur government’s order were Imphal, Lamphal, City, Singjamei, Sekmai, Lamsang, Patsoi, Wangoi, Porompat, Heingang, Lamlai, Irilbung, Leimakhong, Thoubal, Bishnupur, Nambol, Moirang, Kakching, Jiribam.
There have been protests and demands for the complete withdrawal of AFSPA from the Northeast as well as Jammu and Kashmir for its alleged “draconian” provisions.
Manipuri activist Irom Chanu Sharmila fought against the law by staging a hunger strike for 16 years before ending it on 9 August 2016.
Manipur Police on Monday said 10 suspected militants were killed in a fierce gunfight with security forces after insurgents in camouflage uniforms and armed with sophisticated weapons fired indiscriminately at a police station and an adjacent CRPF camp in Jiribam district.
ALSO READ: Tripartite talks to discuss issue of newly created districts in Manipur set for Nov 13
More than 200 people have been killed and thousands rendered homeless in ethnic violence between Imphal Valley-based Meiteis and adjoining hills-based Kuki-Zo groups since May last year.
