The Centre Friday extended the “disturbed area” status under the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act across most of Manipur for another six months, keeping areas under 13 police stations in five districts outside its ambit. The Ministry of Home Affairs’ notification will take effect from October 1 and remain in force for six months unless withdrawn earlier, continuing the geographical coverage put in place under the previous extension.
The decision came after the Centre reviewed the law-and-order situation in Manipur, which has faced prolonged security challenges since ethnic violence erupted in May 2023. The latest order does not expand AFSPA into the 13 exempted police station jurisdictions and effectively continues the existing arrangement for another six months.
13 police station areas exempted
The areas remaining outside the “disturbed area” notification are under Imphal, Lamphel, City, Singjamei, Patsoi and Wangoi police stations in Imphal West district; Porompat, Heingang and Irilbung in Imphal East; Thoubal police station in Thoubal district; Bishnupur and Nambol in Bishnupur district; and Kakching police station in Kakching district.
The same 13 police station areas had been exempted under the previous notification that came into effect on April 1. The Centre had then declared the rest of Manipur a disturbed area for six months after conducting a similar review of the security situation.
Under Section 3 of AFSPA, the Centre can declare an area “disturbed” when it considers conditions sufficiently serious to require the use of the armed forces in aid of civil power. Such a declaration enables the armed forces to exercise special powers specified under the Act while operating in the notified areas.
AFSPA footprint changed after violence
The geographical application of AFSPA in Manipur has changed repeatedly over the past few years. Beginning in 2022, the law was progressively withdrawn from several police station areas as the security situation was assessed to have improved, with 19 police station jurisdictions eventually outside its coverage before the ethnic conflict erupted in 2023.
Following renewed violence, the Centre in November 2024 reimposed the disturbed-area status in six police station jurisdictions, citing a volatile security situation and insurgent involvement in acts of violence. Subsequent notifications altered the exempted areas, with the current framework leaving 13 police station jurisdictions outside the law.
The latest order indicates that the Centre is not yet withdrawing AFSPA from the areas where it is currently in force. At the same time, it has not brought the 13 exempted valley police station areas back under the Act.
Nagaland, Arunachal orders extended too
The Home Ministry also issued fresh notifications Friday extending the disturbed-area status in parts of Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh for six months from October 1. In Nagaland, nine entire districts and areas under 21 police stations across five other districts will continue to be covered.
In Arunachal Pradesh, Tirap, Changlang and Longding districts, along with areas under Namsai, Mahadevpur and Chowkham police stations in Namsai district, will remain classified as disturbed areas. These notifications, like the Manipur order, can be withdrawn before the completion of the six-month period if the Centre decides conditions no longer warrant their continuation.