AFSPA Extended in Manipur, Nagaland, and Arunachal Pradesh: Impact and Implementation Across Northeast India

Manipur has been under President's rule since February 13 (File)

New Delhi:

The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act has been extended for six months across Manipur, with exemptions for areas under 13 police stations, due to the ongoing law and order challenges in the region.

The AFSPA designation, which labels specific regions as "disturbed areas," has also been applied to nine districts in Nagaland and 21 police station jurisdictions across five additional districts in that state for a six-month period, according to a notification from the Union home ministry.

Additionally, the law's application has been extended to cover Tirap, Changlang and Longding districts in Arunachal Pradesh, along with three police station areas bordering Assam in the state's Namsai district.

These extensions of disturbed area status in the specified regions across the three states will be effective from October 1 for six months.

The AFSPA, widely criticized as a draconian measure, grants security forces operating in disturbed areas extensive authority to search, arrest and use lethal force if they determine it necessary.

"And whereas, a further review of the law and order situation in the state of Manipur has been undertaken. Now, therefore, in exercise of the powers conferred by Section 3 of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 (28 of 1958), the entire State of Manipur, excluding the areas falling under the jurisdiction of the following 13 (thirteen) Police Stations of 5 districts, is declared as 'disturbed area' for a period of six months with effect from 01.10.2025, unless withdrawn earlier," states the notification concerning Manipur.

The police stations exempt from AFSPA in Manipur include: Imphal, Lamphal, City, Singjamei, Patsoi, Wangoi in Imphal West district; Porompat, Heingang, Irilbung in Imphal East district; Thoubal in Thoubal district; Bishnupur and Nambol in Bishnupur district; and Kakching in Kakching district.

Manipur has been under President's rule since February 13 after Chief Minister N Biren Singh, who led a BJP government, resigned on February 9 following ethnic violence that has claimed more than 260 lives since May 2023.

The disturbed area declaration had been in effect across all of Manipur (except Imphal municipality area) since 2004 until early 2022.

In April 2022, the Manipur government issued a notification removing the disturbed area status from seven police station areas in Imphal West district, four police station areas in Imphal East district, and one police station area each in the districts of Thoubal, Bishnupur, Kakching and Jiribam.

At that time, Manipur comprised 16 districts.

In October 2024, the Manipur government reintroduced AFSPA throughout the entire state, excluding 19 police station areas. One month later, AFSPA was also extended to six of those 19 police station areas following outbreaks of violence in Jiribam district.

The ethnic conflict between Imphal Valley-based Meiteis and hills-based Kuki-Zo groups has resulted in over 260 fatalities and thousands of displaced residents since May 2023.

In a separate notification, the home ministry indicated that a further assessment of Nagaland's law and order situation had been conducted.

Following this review, Dimapur, Niuland, Chumoukedima, Mon, Kiphire, Noklak, Phek, Peren and Meluri districts in Nagaland were designated as 'disturbed areas' under Section 3 of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 for six months starting October 1, 2025, unless withdrawn earlier.

The government also declared continued 'disturbed area' status for regions under the jurisdiction of various police stations including: Khuzama, Kohima North, Kohima South, Zubza and Kezocha in Kohima District; Mangkolemba, Mokokchung-I, Longtho, Tuli, Longchem and Anaki 'C' in Mokokchung District; Yanglok in Longleng District; Bhandari, Champang and Ralan in Wokha District; and Ghatashi, Pughoboto, Satakha, Suruhuto, Zunheboto and Aghunato in Zunheboto District, for six additional months effective October 1.

A third notification from the home ministry stated that a further review of the law and order situation in Arunachal Pradesh had also been completed.

Consequently, Tirap, Changlang and Longding districts in Arunachal Pradesh, along with areas under the jurisdiction of Namsai, Mahadevpur and Chowkham police stations in Namsai district of Arunachal Pradesh bordering Assam, have been declared 'disturbed areas' under Section 3 of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 for six months beginning October 1, 2025, unless withdrawn earlier.

There have been ongoing protests demanding complete withdrawal of the law from Northeast India and Jammu and Kashmir due to its allegedly "draconian" provisions.

Manipuri activist Irom Chanu Sharmila fought against the law through a 16-year hunger strike, which she ended on August 9, 2016.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah had previously stated that AFSPA has been removed from 70 percent of areas in northeastern states, though it remains in force in Jammu and Kashmir.