AFSPA has been lifted from four more police stations in the valley besides the 15 police stations already out of its radar. One remembers the lifting of the draconian Act from six police stations within the Greater Imphal area during the previous Congress regime as a result of a sustained anti-AFSPA campaign in the valley in 2004. On 15 July 2004, 12 Meira Paibi leaders had disrobed in front of the historic Kangla Fort in the heart of Imphal, the then headquarters of the Assam Rifles protesting against the brutal rape and killing of Manorama Thangjam, a 32-year-old woman.
The anti-AFSPA movement ignited by the Manorama incident led to lifting of the Act from the Greater Imphal area which has seven assembly constituencies and the present Chief Minister N Biren Singh was one of the young Turks in the then Congress government who practically arm-twisted O Ibobi Singh into lifting AFSPA. And the Congress government at the Centre led by Manmohan Singh had no alternative but to remain silent as the state had also the power towards withdrawal.
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After the BJP came to power in March 2022, nine more police stations including Sekmai, Lamsang, Bishnupur, Patsoi, Lamlai, Irilbung, Thoubal, Kakching and Jiribam all in the valley districts was added in the exclusion from AFSPA operations. Yet, the circumstances were different. In 2004, withdrawal of the Act from Greater Imphal area was a result of the intense movement of the general public in the valley area.
In 2004, the Jeevan Reddy Committee set up by then Manmohan Singh government had recommended the repeal of AFSPA. A Cabinet sub-committee was formed to examine the matter. However, the Narendra Modi government rejected the recommendations of the Reddy committee and the Cabinet sub-committee was also dissolved.
Then, Oting happened. A botched-up Army operation resulted in the deaths of 13 civilians in the Tiru-Oting area in the Mon district of Nagaland on December 4, 2021. An inquiry has been conducted by the Army's Eastern Command to ensure that justice is delivered to all the affected parties. The defence lobby had always been at the forefront of opposing the withdrawal of AFSPA from areas where it is in force and the state have always been reluctant to go against the lobby.
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Promises were made by every political party including BJP with regard to AFSPA during elections and nobody believed it. In the 2022 Manipur assembly elections also, BJP bigwigs including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah promised. When withdrawal of AFSPA from several police stations in the Northeast region, including nine more in Manipur, was announced just after the Manipur elections, everyone was taken by surprise.
However, considering the repeated calls for its repeal from several quarters following the Oting incident BJP somehow could not hold the fort together anymore and hence, the partial withdrawal. To the Indian establishment, it was a big move given the objections from the defence lobby against its removal. It was not enough for the people of the region who had suffered under the shadow of the Act.
The Act remains in force in all the hill districts irrespective of whether it adjoins the international boundary or not. Maybe because there is an ongoing ceasefire with NSCN (I-M) and Suspension of Operation (SoO) with the Kuki militant groups. Yet everyone knows, these groups operate at will among the general population and during elections. So, the cessation of operations is only with the security forces and police.
Even the involvement of some of the SoO groups in poppy plantation have come out in the open, after which the state government was forced to take a stand. On the other hand, the recent announcement of withdrawal of AFSPA from more police stations may have been fulfilling of promises made in the assembly elections in three Norteast states. But, one will never learn the catch this time except the official version of improvement in law and order.
