Manipur: AFSPA reimposed in 6 PS areas including Jiribam, MHA cites 'volatile situation'

The Centre on Thursday reimposed the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in six police station areas of Manipur, including the violence-hit Jiribam district, with the Union home ministry asserting that the decision was taken given the "continuous volatile situation" created by ongoing ethnic violence.

The Central government notification on the reimposition of AFSPA came the same day the Manipur Police announced the seizure of a cache of arms and ammunition from Jiribam and Churachandpur districts.

During cordon and search operations in Champanagar, Narayanpur and Thangboipunjre areas of Jiribam district on Wednesday, one two-inch mortar, 36 live barrel cartridges and five empty barrel cartridges were seized, a police statement said.

The police statement also said one .303 rifle, one 9 mm pistol, two short-range locally made cannon, two long-range locally made cannon, five AK-47 live rounds, two 9 mm live rounds, four 12-bore cart cases, and 18 .303 rifle modified live rounds were also seized from H. Kotlian village in Churachandpur district.

There have been protests and demands for the complete withdrawal of AFSPA from the Northeast as well as Jammu and Kashmir for its alleged "draconian" provisions. Manipuri activist Irom Chanu Sharmila fought against the law by staging a hunger strike for 16 years before ending it on 9 August 2016.

An area or district is notified as "disturbed" under AFSPA to facilitate operations by the armed forces. AFSPA gives armed forces operating in disturbed areas sweeping powers to search, arrest and open fire if they deem it necessary for the "maintenance of public order".

The decision to reimpose AFSPA was taken given the continuous volatile situation in the state owing to the ongoing ethnic violence, the Union home ministry said in the notification.

The police station areas where AFSPA has been reimposed are Sekmai and Lamsang in Imphal West district, Lamlai in Imphal East district, Jiribam in Jiribam district, Leimakhong in Kangpokpi district and Moirang in Bishnupur district.

On 1 October, the Manipur government imposed AFSPA in the entire state, barring 19 police station areas that included these six. The police stations excluded from the Manipur government's order were Imphal, Lamphal, City, Singjamei, Sekmai, Lamsang, Patsoi, Wangoi, Porompat, Heingang, Lamlai, Irilbung, Leimakhong, Thoubal, Bishnupur, Nambol, Moirang, Kakching, Jiribam.

Manipur Police on Monday said 10 suspected militants were killed in a fierce gunfight with security forces after insurgents in camouflage uniforms and armed with sophisticated weapons fired indiscriminately at a police station and an adjacent CRPF camp in Jiribam district.

The suspected militants allegedly abducted six civilians, including women and children, from the same district.

Also on Thursday, school and college students across the Imphal valley formed multiple human chains outside their respective educational institutions to protest against the alleged abduction.

Holding black flags and wearing black badges, the students raised slogans demanding immediate safe release of the six and called for action by the Central and state governments. The event was organised by COCOMI Students Front, a Meitei community outfit.

More than 200 people have been killed and thousands rendered homeless in ethnic violence between Imphal Valley-based Meiteis and adjoining hills-based Kuki-Zo groups since May last year.

The ethnically diverse Jiribam, which was largely untouched by the clashes in Imphal Valley and the adjoining hills, witnessed violence after the mutilated body of a farmer was found in a field in June this year.

The disturbed area declaration was in force in Manipur (except the Imphal municipality area) from 2004 until early 2022. In April 2022, the Manipur government issued a notification where it said the disturbed area tag would no longer be applicable in seven police station areas of Imphal West district, four police station areas under the Imphal East district and one police station area each in the districts of Thoubal, Bishnupur, Kakching and Jiribam. There are 16 districts in Manipur.