Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on October 31 said his government is considering withdrawing Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act 1958 (AFSPA) from two more areas in the state.
“Peace has returned to Assam and Northeast. Today, AFSPA is withdrawn from 65 % areas of the state. In the future, we are considering to withdraw it from Lakhipur of Cachar and the entire Karbi Anglong district,” Sarma said.
He added that after the withdrawal of two more areas from the ambit of the AFSPA, only six districts in Upper Assam will remain under the law’s purview.
Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Charaideo, Sivasagar, Jorhat, Golaghat, Karbi Anglong, and Dima Hasao districts, as well as the Lakhipur sub-division of Cachar in the Barak valley, all continued to be designated as “Disturbed Areas” beginning on October 1 with the extension of AFSPA for a period of six months.
The government had withdrawn the law from West Karbi Anglong district as the situation “considerably improved” there.
Speaking at a gathering to provide financial support for the rehabilitation of surrendered militants, Sarma said the “Disturbed Area” tag under the AFSPA has also been removed from certain areas of Tripura, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, and Manipur.
“Assam has seen a lot of bloodshed. It is our duty to stop it and develop our state. We are planning to launch a big scheme to offer employment opportunities to the unemployed youths of the state,” he added.
The chief minister handed over demand drafts to 318 former militants, who had laid down arms in the past. A one-time grant of Rs 1.5 lakh each was offered to the surrendered cadres of United Liberation Front of Asom (Independent), United Gorkha People’s Organisation (UGPO), Tiwa Liberation Army (TLA), Kuki Liberation Front (KLF), Dimasa National Liberation Army (DNLA) and Kuki National Liberation Army (KNLA).
“In the last one-and-half years of our government, all militant organisations, except the ULFA(I), in Assam have returned to the mainstream. I again appeal to the ULFA(I) chief Paresh Barua to take the society forward by peace and not by bloodshed,” Sarma said.
Assam DGP Bhaskarjyoti Mahanta and other senior officials of Assam Police, Army, and paramilitary forces were present on the occasion.
