KOLKATA: The armed forces special powers act (AFSPA) will be withdrawn from more areas in the Northeast, if violence declines in those places.
This was stated by chief of the eastern command of the Indian Army – Lt General RP Kalita on Tuesday.
Kalita said that more areas that are still tagged as “disturbed areas” under AFSPA will be de-notified, as and when violence parameters come down to an acceptable level.
Chief of the eastern command of the Indian Army – Lt General RP Kalita – claimed that violence in most parts of the Northeast have dropped considerably in the past nine months.
“This (peace) has been possible only due to sacrifice that has been made by the Indian armed forces in ensuring that violence parameters are brought down to an acceptable level,” Lt General RP Kalita said.
He added: “As and when parameters of violence drop, AFSPA will be withdrawn from more areas.”
Also read: Assam mulls withdrawing AFSPA from two more areas
Notably, AFSPA was withdrawn from several places in Nagaland, Assam and Manipur from April 1 this year.
The clamour for withdrawal of the AFSPA from the Northeast region of India grew louder since the botched counter-insurgency operation at Oting village in Mon in December last year.
At least 14 innocent Nagaland civilians were gunned down by troopers of the special forces of the Indian Army at Oting village in Mon district of Naganad in December last year, after mistaking them for being insurgents.