Invoking the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958, the union home ministry on Wednesday declared Nagaland as a ‘disturbed area’ for the next six months.
Invoking the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958, the union home ministry on Wednesday declared Nagaland as a ‘disturbed area’ for the next six months. The use of armed forces in aid of civil power is necessary, the home ministry said in its notification.
In its release, the Home Ministry said: “Whereas the Central government is of the opinion that the area comprising the whole of the State of Nagaland is in such a disturbed and dangerous condition that the use of armed forces in the aid of civil power is necessary.”
“Therefore, in exercise of the powers conferred by Section 3 of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 (No 28 of 1958) the Central Government hereby declares that whole of the State of Nagaland to be ‘disturbed area’ for a period of six months with effect from 30th December, 2020 for the purpose of the said Act,” the notification said.
On June 30 this year, the centre had declared Nagaland as ‘disturbed area’ for a period of six months. The state has been under the AFSPA for almost last six decades. Even after signing of the framework agreement between National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Isak Muivah) (NSCN-IM) General Secretary Thuingaleng Muivah and government interlocutor RN Ravi in 2015, the act was not withdrawn from the north-eastern state.
Talks with the NSCN-IM regarding the final settlement of the decades-long issue with Nagaland are at an advanced stage and the state government along with Centre is providing all assistance to the state to deal with rebel groups in the region, the union government had said in November.
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