Withdraw AFSPA demand at Nagaland Centre forms panel; to submit report in 45 days

Guwahati, Dec 26
Amid the growing clamour for the repeal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from Nagaland in the aftermath of the civilian killings, a State Government release Sunday said that a committee to look into the demand will be instituted by the Centre. The panel, which has been asked to submit its report in 45 days, will decide on whether AFSPA can be repealed from Nagaland and the State’s “disturbed area” status be removed.
This comes after representatives of the Nagaland Government, including Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, held a meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi on Thursday to discuss the present scenario in Nagaland in the aftermath of the incident in Mon district’s Oting, where 14 civilians were killed in a security ambush and clashes that followed.
The meeting, which was chaired by Shah, was also attended by Nagaland Deputy Chief Minister Y Patton former Chief Minister TR Zeliang and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
The delegation from Nagaland also appealed to the Union Home Ministry to replace the Assam Rifles Unit in Mon with immediate effect.
Calls for repeal of AFSPA, which gives sweeping powers to the security forces to arrest without warrant and even shoot to kill in certain situations, have been growing louder in Nagaland and other North Eastern States since the incident in Oting. Massive protest rallies have been held in Kohima, with the Nagaland Cabinet also recommending the law’s repeal. Earlier this week, a special session of the Nagaland Assembly passed a unanimous resolution demanding the repeal of AFSPA.
The release added that the committee will be chaired by the Additional Secretary, North East, Ministry of Home Affairs. It would also include the Chief Secretary and Director General of Police of Nagaland as well as the Inspector General Assam Rifles (North) and representatives from the Central Reserve Police Force.
The release, which was signed by Rio, Patton and Zeliang, also said that a Court of inquiry will initiate disciplinary proceedings against the army unit and army personnel, who were directly involved in the incident, and that action would be “taken immediately” on the basis of a fair probe. “The identified persons who will face the enquiry will be placed under suspension with immediate effect,” it added.
Indian Express