AFSPA Extension in Assam: Balancing Security and Human Rights

The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) has been extended in three Assam districts—Tinsukia, Charaideo, and Sivasagar—for an additional six months starting October 1, according to a Saturday notification. This follows the state government's recommendation, accepted by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, amid ongoing militant threats.

The government's decision comes despite significant improvements in the state's law and order situation, attributed to extensive counterinsurgency measures by security forces. However, sporadic violence persists mainly due to activities by the ULFA(I) and NSCN(K-YA) cadres, who are engaged in extortion and other subversive activities.

AFSPA, effective in Assam since 1990, allows security forces wide-ranging powers, including arrests without warrants and operations with immunity. While the law aims to curb violence, critics, including civil society groups and political parties, argue that it results in human rights violations and have called for its repeal across the Northeast.