Aiming To Completely Withdraw AFSPA From Assam By November-End: Himanta Sarma

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced on Monday that his government is working towards the complete removal of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) from the state by the end of this year.

Assam was declared a 'disturbed area' under AFSPA in November 1990, and the act has been extended every six months since then.

The Chief Minister who was speaking at the first Commandant's Conference at the Lachit Barphukan Police Academy here, said, ''We are aiming at withdrawing AFSPA completely from Assam by the end of 2023. We will also rope in military personnel to train our police force.'' He also said,

''This will facilitate replacement of central police with Assam police batalions.'' The AFSPA which gives armed forces the right to arrest and search without warrants as well as use force without a magistrate's permission, has been lifted from most Assam districts except 8 districts and one sub-division. Sarma also said that attention will be given to ensure that the personnel belonging to different battalions are not used for any purpose other than those exclusively connected to bonafide policing.

Steps will be taken to ensure that there is positive change in the mindset of the forces, it will also be ensured that good and professional police officers are posted as Commandants, he said.

''Adequate steps will be taken to empower the Assam Police Battalions so that they can deal with law and order in the state. They will also be reoriented to control the mob without using lethal weapons or using them to the minimum extent possible'', the Chief Minister said.

Sarma said that the Commandants' Conference will be organised every six month to bring about positive changes in the rank and file of the battalions and give a more result oriented police force to the state.

Director General of Police G P Singh, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Samir Kumar Sinha, Principal Secretary to Home and Political Niraj Verma, Special DGP Harmeet Singh and other senior police officers were present on the occasion.

The AFSPA is currently in force in 8 districts of Assam: Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Charaideo, Sivasagar, Jorhat, Golaghat, Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao.

The Assam government has been under pressure to withdraw the AFSPA from the state. In 2022, the government announced that it would withdraw the AFSPA from 23 districts of the state. However, the AFSPA was retained in 8 districts, including Tinsukia, Dibrugarh and Karbi Anglong.