Defence & SecurityImportant2024-11-14

Reimposition of AFSPA in Manipur Police Stations

In News

What Happened

On November 14, 2024, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs reimposed the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 in six police station limits across five districts in Manipur, including the violence-hit Jiribam. This decision reversed the April 2022 withdrawal of the Act from these specific areas. The move empowers security forces to handle the escalating ethnic violence and recent insurgent attacks without waiting for civil approval.

Why It Matters

This highlights the volatile internal security situation in Northeast India and the central government's reliance on extraordinary military powers to restore public order. It also reignites the complex, longstanding debate between upholding human rights and ensuring national security.

Background

History & Context

AFSPA grants security forces sweeping operational immunity to maintain public order in regions designated as 'disturbed areas' under Section 3 of the Act. Manipur has seen periodic application of AFSPA since 1980, though it was gradually lifted from valley areas to encourage civilian peace efforts. Over the years, multiple panels, notably the Justice B.P. Jeevan Reddy Committee in 2004, have strongly recommended repealing AFSPA, calling it a symbol of oppression and suggesting its powers be merged into the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

What Changed

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Area Classification: BEFORE - Six police station areas, including Jiribam and Moirang, were excluded from AFSPA since April 2022 due to a stabilized security environment. NOW - They are re-notified as 'disturbed areas' by the central government until at least March 31, 2025.
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Operational Powers: BEFORE - Civil police and standard legal procedures managed law and order in these six areas. NOW - Armed forces possess sweeping powers to search premises, arrest without warrants, and use lethal force based on suspicion.
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Jurisdictional Decision: BEFORE - The Manipur state government had excluded 19 valley police stations (including these six) in its October 1, 2024 AFSPA extension. NOW - The Union Home Ministry directly intervened to reimpose the Act in these six stations following renewed militant violence.

Prelims Angle

NCERT Connection

This event directly connects to Class 11 Political Science Chapter 2 - 'Rights in the Indian Constitution'. It serves as a real-world case study on the tension between Fundamental Rights, such as the right to life and personal liberty, and the state's authority to enforce extraordinary security and preventive measures during internal crises.

Practice Questions

Q1

Correct Statement(s)

Which of the following statements regarding the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) is/are correct? 1. Under Section 3 of AFSPA, only the State Government has the power to declare an area as 'disturbed'. 2. The Justice B.P. Jeevan Reddy Committee (2004) recommended the complete repeal of AFSPA.

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